Green Bean Salad with Mustard & Dill

NOTE FOR SOUPSTONE SUBSCRIBERS: You will find directions for PAN FRIED CHICKEN in the variations below.

This salad makes a wonderful side dish to serve with chicken or fish. For instructions on how to do this see the variations below. You could also make a meal of it by adding some crusty bread, a poached egg, or even both. The dill gives this salad an unexpected freshness, but feel free to use parsley instead.

enough for: 2 as a side
takes: 10 minutes
250g (1/2lb) green beans, stalk end trimmed
1 tablespoon white wine or sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
small handful dill
small handful almonds, chopped

1. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil.

2. Simmer beans for 5 minutes or until no longer crunchy.

3. Meanwhile combine vinegar and mustard with 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Season.

4, Drain beans. Toss in the dressing while they are warm.

5. Add dill and almonds.

Variations

with chicken – heat a frying pan on a medium high heat. Rub chicken breast fillets or thighs with a little oil and season well. Pan fry chicken for 3-5 minutes each side or until golden brown and cooked through. If you’re not sure, slice into one to double check. Better to check than to serve uncooked chicken!

with fish – heat a frying pan on a medium high heat. Rub fish with a little oil and season well. Pan fry fish for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden brown. The other way to tell if fish is cooked is to push the flesh with a knife, cooked fish will start to flake apart.

nut free – skip the almonds or replace with 1/4 small red onion, very finely diced for crunch and colour and tossed in the dressing before the beans.

vegetarian – you might like to serve salad with a poached or fried egg.

carb lovers / more substantial – toss cooked quinoa or couscous in the salad. Or serve with boiled or roast potatoes.

more veg – add snow peas or peas with the beans.

Problem Solving Guide

too crunchy – it’s really easy to undercook beans, so make sure they’re tender before you drain. If you’ve already dressed the beans there’s not much you can do unless you’re prepared to pop them back in a saucepan of boiling water and make a fresh batch of dressing.

beans turning brown – either your beans weren’t at their freshest or they’ve been overcooked. The pH (acidity or alkalinity) of your water can dull the green colour of beans. A good way to test is to boil some beans in filtered water or bottled water and if they keep their colour, you know it’s a water problem. Steaming rather than boiling can help preserve colour.

too creamy – I’ve made this quite a generously dressed salad. If you prefer your salad a bit more modest, you could halve the dressing OR if you’ve already dressed it, use paper towel to blot away excess dressing and transfer to a clean bowl, leaving as much dressing behind as you like.

can’t find dill? – dill can be a bit hit-and-miss to find in my market. Replace it with another fresh leafy herb such as parsley, chives, basil or even tarragon.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

green beans – can be frozen but best to use for another meal.

white wine or sherry vinegar / dijon mustard / almonds – keep them in the pantry.

dill – best to use for another meal. Great finely chopped and served with fish.

chicken / fish – freeze it.

Leftover Potential

I prefer this salad while the beans are sill warm, but it’s fine to keep in the fridge and serve cold.