Green Bean & Tomato Salad

This simple summer salad pairs beautifully with practically any grilled meat or fish, and it’s quite easy to make. Just blanch the green beans until crisp tender, then toss with wedges of ripe tomato and a bright vinaigrette of Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, garlic, shallots and olive oil. A shower of chopped fresh basil across the top finishes it off.

ingredients

1 lb string beans or small haricots verts
2-4 ripe Roma tomatoes
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1-1/2 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
3 Tbsp finely chopped shallots or green onions
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp coarsely chopped basil

directions

1. Trim ends of beans and leave them whole. Drop beans into a saucepan with salted boiling water. Cook until crisp tender, about 3 to 5 minutes according to the size of the beans. Do not overcook. Drain and let cool.
2. Cut away the core of each tomato, and cut it into wedges.
3. In a salad bowl, add mustard, vinegar, shallots, garlic, oil, salt and pepper and blend with a wire whisk. Add beans and tomatoes, toss well. Sprinkle with basil.

yields

4 servings

source

New York Times Cooking