In this Snake Bean Salad sautéing the beans and capsicums gives them a wonderful smokey aroma which worked really well the zing of the lemon and creaminess of the slivered almonds.
This aromatic salad pairs well with almost any roasted or barbecued meats, stews or tagines. We served ours with a beef kokkinisto (a Greek-style beef stew in tomato sauce).
Ingredients
For the salad…
- 450 grams snake (Chinese or long) beans (aproximately 2 bunches)
- 150 grams red capsicum (bell pepper) (approximately 1 large)
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- ½ cup parsley leaves (chopped)
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds
For the vinaigrette…
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
Instructions
To make your salad…
- Wash your snake beans, top and tail them, then cut them into 5cm batons.
- Wash your capsicum remove the core and seeds and slice into julienne strips.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and sauté the beans in batches until charred and cooked al dente (approximately 5-10 minutes). Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Halfway cooking the second batch add the capsicum strips. Sauté until the capsicums are soft and slightly charred. Add the first batch of snake beans and mix all together so that they can absorb some of the capsicum flavour. Transfer to your mixing bowl.
To make your vinaigrette…
- In the meantime zest and juice your lemon and add to a glass jar along with the ¼ cup olive oil. Shake until emulsified.
Putting it all together…
- You can serve this salad either warm or cold. To serve it cold allow the vegetables to cool first.
- Then add the slivered almonds and parsley, pour over the dressing, season and toss until well combined. Taste your salad and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
- Arrange in a salad bowl and serve immediately otherwise the beans will discolour in the lemon vinaigrette.
Snake / long beans
Choose the best…
Look for beans that are between 30-45 cm in length for the best flavour and texture as longer ones can get tough. Make sure that they are bright in colour and free of blemishes. Store in the crisper section of your fridge, unwashed in a plastic bag for up to 5 days.
Prep them….
Preparing snake beans is very easy as all you have to do is trim off the root ends, then line them up and chop them to the desired size.
Capsicums
Choose the best…
Select capsicums that are firm to the touch, deeply coloured and free of wrinkles, soft spots or other indications of age or decay. Their shape or size does not usually indicate their quality.
Deseed them…
Simply cut your capsicum in half and remove the core, seeds and inner ribs with a parring or any other small knife. Place the glossy side of the capsicum face down (it is much easier to slice this way as your knife does not slip) then slice into strips (try it with a serrated knife as it is much easier.
Try some more of our bean recipes…
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