Green Bean Salad with Crispy Shallots

If you need a break from your traditional, lettuce-based salad routine, consider this tangy green bean salad recipe. It would be a great side dish to accompany a plate of BBQ on a hot summer day.

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Green Bean Salad with Crispy Shallots

If you need a break from your traditional, lettuce-based salad routine, consider this tangy green bean salad recipe. It would be a great side dish to accompany a plate of BBQ on a hot summer day.

Ingredients

Salad Components:

• 1 pound of green beans (tops and tails removed)
• 3 whole shallots (sliced incredibly thin on mandolin)
• 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying shallots)
• 2 tsp Kosher salt ( for seasoning shallots)
• 2 Tbsp white sesame seeds (toasted)
• ¼ cup peanuts (toasted and roughly chopped)
• 3 Tbsp fresh chives (very finely sliced)
• Salt & freshly-ground black pepper (to taste)

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 clove garlic ( finely minced)
• ½ red onion (small dice)
• 1 Tbsp capers (minced)
• 2 Tbsp sweet and sour pickles ( minced)
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• ¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp dried oregano

Instructions 

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Taste the water and add salt to make it taste salty like the sea.
• Add your green beans and cook until the green beans are almost tender and cooked all the way through, or about 90-95% cooked.
• *Note here that the green beans should still have their vibrant green color when they are drained from the salted water.
• Drain green beans from water and allow to cool at room temperature.
• When the green beans have cooled down, they should be tender from the carry-over cooking.
• Season the green beans with a pinch of salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
• Fry the sliced shallots in batches in vegetable oil until they are just golden.
• Try not to allow the shallots to take on too much color, as they can develop a bitter flavor profile when overcooked.
• Remove golden shallots from the oil in batches and drain on paper towels.
• Season the fried shallots with salt right after you remove them from the oil.
• To make the vinaigrette, combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients and allow to sit for roughly 30 minutes before serving.
• When ready to serve, combine your desired quantity of vinaigrette dressing with the green beans, toasted white sesame seeds, and toasted peanuts.
• Garnish bean salad with fresh chives and crispy shallots.

Notes

Depending on how much dressing you prefer to use on the beans, you will likely have some extra vinaigrette leftover after dressing the salad. Save this in the fridge for use the following day. It tastes great with lettuce and is delicious when mixed with your choice of raw and roasted vegetables.
While the flavors of this salad remain wonderful the next day, the shallots lose their crispy texture in the fridge after being mixed with the green beans and dressed. You can always make extra crispy shallots and save them in an air-tight plastic container for use in future meals.