Up your green-bean game with a Creole vinaigrette
So, you brought home a mountain of green beans from the farmers market, and now you have to figure out what to do with them.
Sautéing some green beans in a bit of olive oil and butter and then finishing them off by adding some water or broth to the pan and steaming them — that’s the way I go most of the time. Delicious, with a nice dusting of salt and pepper, and they go with everything. After a few days though, it starts to get boring. And I still have mountains of beans to climb.
That’s where bean salads come into play. A great late-summer, early-fall way to put those beans to use. Not to mention bean salads are portable, picnic-worthy and can be made ahead of time.
This one is so simple — just beans with a vinaigrette. A day in the fridge will deepen the flavour.
Honey Creole Mustard Green Beans
Makes: Four to six servings Start to finish: 15 minutes Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a medium-size bowl with ice water. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until just tender, six to eight minutes. Drain well, and plunge them into the bowl of ice water. Drain when they have cooled.
While the beans are cooking, in a large serving bowl, whisk together the honey, Creole mustard, vinegar, olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper.
Toss the cooled green beans in the dressing, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, and serve at room temperature.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook. She blogs at themom100.com