Green Bean Salad with Mustard Seeds and Tarragon - 26.7g Carbs, 12.9g Fiber
By Dana Treat VIA WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com
I tend to like my green beans pretty plain. Like broccoli. I could pounds
and pounds of those two veggies just steamed with a healthy sprinkle of
salt. Maybe a squeeze of lemon. That is how my husband likes them too.
But the green beans are so gorgeous at our markets right now. Plump,
long, incredibly fresh. I felt like I wanted to celebrate their beauty
more and make something a little more substantial. I found this recipe
in my new Plenty cookbook but knew instinctively that some changes had
to be made to the method. I was instructed to toss cooked beans, snow
peas and peas in warm spiced oil, scatter crushed garlic, lemon zest,
chopped chili and tarragon over the top. I don't know about you, but
crushed garlic and lemon zest don't "scatter" too well for me. I
wouldn't welcome a big bite of raw garlic-laced green bean or a fuzzy
lemon-zested one. I certainly am not interested in getting a big bite
of jalapeno either.
Instead of following directions like a good oldest child, I made more
of a dressing including the juice of the lemon as well, and poured tossed
the mixture with the vegetables. I am not a huge snow pea fan and would
normally have substituted snap peas, but instead I just upped the green
beans and threw in a diced avocado. The oil with crushed coriander seeds
and mustard seeds really made this dish. I loved their smoky flavor and
subtle crunch along with the tartness of the lemon. I guess I could eat
pounds of green beans this way too!
1 1/2 lb green beans, ends trimmed
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp coriander seed, roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle
1 tsp mustard seeds
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 large avocado, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped tarragon, plus more for garnish
Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Have a large
bowl of ice water ready. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and then the green
beans. Cook for 3 minutes, and add the peas. After 30 seconds, scoop
all the vegetables out into the ice bath, adding more ice if necessary.
When cool, drain well, place in a large bowl. Add the chopped shallots
and avocado.
Put the coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and oil into a small frying pan
and turn the heat to medium. When the seeds begin to pop, remove the
pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly. Meanwhile
put the garlic, lemon juice and zest, chili, and tarragon in a bowl or
jar.
Add a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Pour the oil over
and shake or whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and
gently toss to combine. This dish looks best on a platter garnished with
additional tarragon leaves.
Servings: 4
Nutrition per Serving:
270 Calories, 18.2g Fat, 2.6g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol,
26.7g Carbs, 12.9g Fiber, 59mg Sodium, 7.1g Protein
