French Bean, Tomato and Pistachio Salad
November is Vegan Month and Suganya from Tasty Palettes is looking for vegan recipes. Vegans don’t eat any animal products at all; that means no eggs, no milk, no cheese, nada. As you can see lots of people have stepped up to the challenge to go vegan for a day, week or a whole month. As much as I love animals, I think I will be cheering from the sidelines on this one. When I eat vegetarian for a few days at a time, I get this strange floating sensation when walking, which means after a month I’ll probably be on my way to Mars. Who’s going to post you all these yummy recipes then? Eating meat roots me firmly to the ground and I like it here on planet Earth.
On a more serious note, this salad is a superb starter if you are planning a three course meal. The portions are just enough to whet your appetite and surprisingly refreshing. In the photos I used rocket, red cos lettuce and mizuna. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of leaves; it can definitely spruce up a salad.
French Bean, Tomato and Pistachio Salad
Preparation: 5 mins – Cooking: 4 mins
Ingredients
- 200g (7oz) fine French beans, trimmed
- 100g salad leaves, washed
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 80g (3 oz) pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
- 60ml (4 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- 60 ml (4 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper
Method
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the beans and cook for 3-4 minutes until just tender but still crisp. Drain and refresh undercold water, then drain again and set aside.
- For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a little seasoning.
- Tip the salad leaves into a bowl, then add the beans and tomatoes. Drizzle with the balsamic dressing, then scatter the pistachios over the salad and serve.
Very pretty. Michelle, thank you for participating in the event, even if it means going half-way to Mars
by Suganya
on 30. Nov, 2007
Thanks, Suganya. It was great fun participating.
by Michelle
on 22. Dec, 2007