As summer veggies go, fresh-steamed green beans with a sprinkle of salt are hard to beat. But this amped up version is worth a try—cook the beans until crisp-tender and toss with a nutty walnut oil vinaigrette, creamy ricotta, and toasted hazelnuts. The different flavors, textures, and colors come together beautifully!
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
For the vinaigrette:
1 shallot, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons walnut oil
For the salad:
4 large handfuls green beans, trimmed
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup ricotta
1/4 cup roasted and skinned hazelnuts, chopped
Make the vinaigrette
Blend shallot, salt, vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and walnut oil on high until well-combined. Set aside.
Prepare the green beans
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and add green beans. Blanche 5 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. The green beans should be bright green and still slightly crunchy.
Assemble the salad
Toss green beans with cherry tomatoes and dressing and top with ricotta and hazelnuts to serve.
Photo credit: Paul Delmont