This haricot vert salad with a Dijon vinaigrette is simple, elegant, and really easy to pull together.
Haricot vert is simply the French translation for green bean. French string beans are skinnier and longer than "regular" green beans, and they are so tender.
To get them just "tender-crisp" and bright green, you only need to cook them for just one to two minutes, depending on how skinny they are, and then plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process.
Once you've chilled the green beans, you toss them with a delicious Dijon vinaigrette that is so simple to make.
Ingredients in this Dijon Vinaigrette:
Good Dijon mustard and Freshly Ground Black Pepper.
White wine vinegar:
Because white wine vinegar is not as strongly flavored as sherry or cider vinegar, the brand is not as significant, and most of the national brands are just fine.
Olive oil:
I really like California Olive Ranch 100% California. It's made with California olives, it's affordable, and it's good for dressings, sautéing, and baking. If you mostly use olive oil for finishing or dipping, and prefer a stronger flavor, Cobram Estates produces olive oil in various strengths and are very tasty.
I've also heard good things about Costco's olive oil. I just don't want to keep such a super-sized bottle in my pantry because olive oil can go rancid. If you use a lot of olive oil, it's worth a try.
To emulsify the dressing, you can combine the mustard and and white wine vinegar and then whisk while slowly pouring in the olive oil. You can also use a mini food processor and slowly add the olive oil to the rest of the ingredients with the machine running.
My favorite way is to add all of the ingredients to a small canning jar and giving it a good long shake until everything is emulsified.
When the beans and the dressing are ready, just toss them together and then sprinkle the whole thing with chopped fresh dill. Serve this salad immediately at room temperature.
Make Ahead Tips:
To make this salad in advance, cook and chill the beans and refrigerate them. Bring them to room temperature before tossing with the dressing. If you do end up with leftover salad, it's perfect for snacking or a packed lunch. Leftovers also keep beautifully for at least four days in the refrigerator.
This recipe is fabulous for summer dinners, picnics, and even snacking.
This is an updated post. I originally posted this recipe in May, 2014. This time, I doubled the amount of dressing that I added to the salad for a stronger Dijon flavor, which I was super happy with.
You can experiment with how much dressing you want to add, saving some for refreshing the salad later or using for other salads.
This week's From Our Dinner Table Theme is French inspired recipes. You know I love French inspired food, especially bread. A sampling of some of my favorite French inspired recipes include:
If you love French food, be sure to drop the word "French" into the search box to find so many more French-inspired recipes.
Get More Fabulous French Recipes:
- Beet Goat Cheese Savory Macaron from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Green Beans with Crispy Onions from Palatable Pastime
- Nicoise Salad from Art of Natural Living
- Piperade from Magical Ingredients
Haricot Vert Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 12 ounces French string beans, both ends cut off
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
Instructions
- Prepare a large bowl with ice water and place a colander in the sink.
- Fill a 3 quart sauce pan with water and bring it to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and cook for about one to two minutes, until the beans are "crisp-tender" and bright green.
- Drain the beans in the colander and then plunge them into the ice water. Leave them there until they are cold. Once they are cold, drain them through the colander, dry them with a dish or paper towel, and place them in a large bowl.
- In the mean time, whisk or shake the mustard, vinegar, pepper, and oil together.
- Toss the beans with the dressing to coat them.
- Add the dill, and season with salt and pepper to taste if necessary. I did not add any more.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
152.59Fat (grams)
13.88Sat. Fat (grams)
1.93Carbs (grams)
7.05Fiber (grams)
2.92Net carbs
4.13Sugar (grams)
3.13Protein (grams)
1.77Sodium (milligrams)
895.68Cholesterol (grams)
0.00This recipe was adapted from Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? Published in 2010. The book is timeless! I adore anything Ina Garten and have every single one of her cookbooks.
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Hi Karen, What a fantastic way to prepare green beans, I love mine crisp-tender. The addition of mustard and dill really elevates these little green veggies.
ReplyDeleteI've been know to eat these like French fries with my fingers =)
DeleteYum! And perfect timing as the green bean harvest arrives!
ReplyDeleteFabulous!
DeleteI love green beans and the dressing has wonderful flavor from mustard and dill! need to try this. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
ReplyDeleteDill and green beans is such a great combination! I should look for beans at my market this weekend and make this. It looks so light and delicious!
ReplyDelete