« Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Pancetta | Main | Homegrown Gourmet #4: Stews & Casseroles »
French Bean, Tomato and Pistachio Salad
By Michelle | November 30, 2007
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.
Topics: Gluten Free, Salad, Starters, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free, a) 30 mins or less |
November 30th, 2007 at 18:32
Very pretty. Michelle, thank you for participating in the event, even if it means going half-way to Mars
December 22nd, 2007 at 12:15
Thanks, Suganya. It was great fun participating.