Good old French bean salad
I had this salad in a bistro in France and it was fantastic. You know, twangy and mustardy and so nice to eat as a starter before the main course arrived. It reminded me that sometimes cooking rules should be broken. We're told that beans should only be cooked until they're al dente, but I think we should cook them for a bit longer. I'd rather run my nails down a blackboard than eat a squeaky al dente green bean! So here's a recipe for properly cooked beans! Keep your eyes open for different colour beans – green, yellow or black – as a mixture will make it even more interesting. And when preparing them, leave the wispy ends on as they look so nice.
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 8 of 10 ingredients — the other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 8 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Shallot | 1 tbsp minced (10g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Capers | 1 tbsp (9g) drained | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| French Bean | not in our table | 0 |
| Chervil | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 4 handfuls French beans, stalk ends removed
- 2-3 heaped teaspoons French mustard, to taste
- 2 tablespoons good-quality white wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium shallot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers, optional
- ½ clove garlic, finely grated
- 1 small handful fresh chervil, optional