This summer bean salad is perfect for a barbecue side dish or a gorgeous crisp salad on the Christmas table. The flavours are simple and delicious. If you’re a nut-free household, leave out the nuts. I like hazelnuts, but I’ve made this with walnuts or pecans to an equally divine result. This dish travels very well, especially with the dressing on the side. I’ve been known to take it for extended family events that are a couple hours drive away. It is lovely as a base for an office lunch as well.
Beautifully crisp beans is an absolute must. They need to be crips, bright and unblemished – nothing less with suffice. However, the feta cheese is optional. If serving to vegetarians, please make sure the cheese is vegetarian friendly. Or alternatively, leave it on the side for those who wish to crumble atop, they can. I love summer bean salads and find them beautifully affordable as an option in these early summer months. The crisp but relatively neutral flavour make them a wonderful base for all sorts of simple dishes. I love them tossed with walnut oil and a little sliced garlic; or as a green addition to an Asian noodle salad. Feel free to make this dish your own; the oil choice can add a lot of flavour and I recommend experimenting.
This year, the Canadian and I are hosting our first Christmas in our first home. There will be a few well-loved faces missing this year; the Sydney family are a beautiful rowdy addition each year. However, we are looking forward to branching out a little in terms of flavours and experimenting this year. There will be a simple feast of turkey and sides, with this summer bean salad marked as a perfect make ahead meal for the big special day.
Ingredients
- 400gm green beans
- 70gm hazelnuts
- 100gm cows feta
- 1x lemon, zested
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp hemp seed oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Grab your beautiful crisp beans. Top, tail them and add to a pot of boiling salted water. Blanch the beans for 2 minutes and then add to a big bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking. In a mortar and pestle, roughly smash up the hazelnuts into pieces. Put aside. Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Toss through the beans.
In a serving plate, layer the beans with crumbled feta. Top with the smashed hazelnuts, and zested lemon.
