Sunday, September 6, 2009

Green Bean Salad with Arugula, Tomatoes & Basil Dressing


This recipe is also from the Fine Cooking, "Big Buy" magazine I picked up. It looked so colorful & healthy, I wanted to try it. As I have said before, I am a big fan of fresh mozzarella, tomato & basil...so, this one drew me in right away.
As the summer is coming to an end, we also have an abundance of tomatoes & basil in the garden. This is a great way to use some up.
All of the elements of this salad can be made ahead of time & assembled when serving.

Begin with 2 pounds of slender green beans. Here, I used a mixture of green beans & yellow wax beans. Trim any long ends off, wash & set aside. Next, you'll need a loosely packed cup of fresh basil leaves,

& 2-3" long strips of lemon zest. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the basil & lemon zest strips in a colander,

& once the water is boiling, dip them in & blanch for about 5 seconds.

Remove from the colander & place the basil in the bowl of a mini food processor, or blender. Coarsely chop the lemon zest,

& add that in as well, along with the juice of 1 lemon & a 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt.

Pulse a few time to combine.

With the motor running, slowly add in a 1/3 cup of olive oil & puree until smooth.

Transfer the dressing to a bowl & cover until ready to use. Bring the pot of water back up to a boil & add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Blanch the green beans for 3-4 minutes, or until tender, yet still crisp.
Drain & rinse under cold water until they reach room temperature, or colder. Set aside, or refrigerate until ready to assemble the salad.

Next, rinse & spin dry 2 generous cups of baby arugula,

halve 1 pint of cherry tomatoes & halve 10 ounces of small mozzarella balls (aka, ciliegine). I didn't have enough in hand. But, I did have some of the very small variety (aka, perlini), so I used some of those as well.

When ready to serve, combine the arugula, tomatoes, mozzarella & beans in a large serving bowl, toss with the basil dressing & serve.

Green Bean Salad with Arugula, Tomatoes & Basil Dressing

Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, "Big Buy" Edition, 2009
Serves 8

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
2 strips lemon zest about 3" long & 1/2" wide
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds fresh slender green beans
2 generous cups baby arugula
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
10 ounces small fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine), halved

Fill a large pot with water & bring to a boil. Place the basil leaves & the lemon zest strips in a small colander & dip them in the boiling water to blanch, for about 5 seconds. Turn the heat off, but leave the pot of water on the stove.
Place the basil in the bowl of a mini food processor, or blender. Coarsely chop the lemon zest & add that to the basil, along with the lemon juice & salt. Pulse a few times. With the motor running slowly pour in the olive oil & puree until smooth. Pour the dressing into a small bowl & cover until ready to use.
Bring the pot of water back up to a boil & add in 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Blanch the green beans for 3-4 minutes, or until tender, yet still a bit crisp. Drain & rinse with cold water until the beans are room temperature, or colder.
In a large serving bowl, combine the arugula, tomatoes, mozzarella & green beans. Toss with the basil dressing right before serving & season with additional salt & pepper, if desired.
Click here for the printable recipe.

4 comments:

Nina said...

Girl! Your photos are just phenomenal! This salad looks spectacular!

Reeja Roo said...

Just made this - SO GOOD! Gorgeous photos, too. Ever since I started reading food blogs, I find it so hard to cook without beautifully photographed, step-by-step instructions. I'll be making your orzo, beet salad later this week. Thanks for the great recipe!

katie said...

Thanks for the comment Reeja! So glad to hear that you enjoyed the salad...and, I hope you enjoy the beet salad too :)

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

My mouth is watering, what a gorgeous salad and right up my street.

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