French Bean Salad with Tarragon and Green Peppercorn
It's easy to snap the ends of tender young haricots verts.
Mayo and olive oil make a lushy, silky base for the dressing.
This recipe calls for raw zucchini, which was something new -- and great -- for us.
A particularly lovely tarragon sprig.
We ended cutting the zucchini roughly the same size as the beans.
Merrill checks the heat -- plenty of salt and a vigorous boil ensure crisp, vibrant green beans.
Jennifer Ann calls for green peppercorns (dried, not fresh), which have beautiful papery skins and a heat that sneaks up on you.
The beans take barely more than a minute -- make sure not to overcook them!
Shocking them in ice water stops the cooking immediately, making for a crunchy salad.
It was almost a shame to chop up those beautiful tarragon leaves.
But they look so gorgeous flecking the dressing!
Halved beans are much easier to get your mouth around.
Amanda pours the dressing over the beans and zucchini.
She attempted to fold everything gently together, but the dressing leapt out of the bowl and attacked her pretty pink top. (We managed to rescue it with a very wet towel.)
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Author Notes: This salad is best served as a side dish to a main course. It is especially good with grilled fish, steaks, or roasted chicken. - Jennifer Ann - Jennifer Ann
Food52 Review: Jennifer Ann's green bean salad is refined and elegant enough to please the most devoted Francophile, but it's far from pretentious. The ingredient list is a study in green (beans, zucchini, tarragon, capers, green peppercorns, olive oil), and the fresh, herbal crunchiness of the resulting salad is a lovely expression of the color itself. A dab of mayo tames the assertiveness of some of the supporting ingredients, rendering the dressed vegetables velvety and zippy at the same time. The combination of tarragon and capers make this a great accompaniment for salmon or other fish. - A&M - A&M
Serves 4
- 1/2 pound French green beans, stems removed
- 1 small green zucchini (about 6-8 oz.), julienned lengthwise then cut in half
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- pinches of flaky sea salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 1/2 teaspoon green peppercorns, finely crushed (more to taste)
- 1-2 teaspoon capers, rinsed and chopped
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil on the stove, drop in beans for 1-2 minutes until bright green but still very crisp; drain and soak in an ice water bath to stop them from cooking further; when cool enough to handle, cut in half and add to bowl with the zucchini.
- For the dressing, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, mayonnaise, and a couple pinches of salt; stir in tarragon and peppercorns, reserving a small bit of each for garnish.
- Add enough dressing to the beans and zucchini to lightly coat; stir in capers; transfer to serving bowl and top with a few sprigs of tarragon and a light dusting of pepper.
- Your Best String Bean Salad Contest Finalist!
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Vegetarian Holiday Side
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almost 2 years ago salena
Lovely way to use the green beans and zucchini in the garden right now (July). Next day it might have tasted even better--the flavor of the capers shown through the dressing.
almost 2 years ago Jennifer Ann
Salena, thank you for your nice comments - I am glad you enjoyed the salad :)
almost 2 years ago amanda
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
I just made it again this week -- this time with regular green beans, basil instead of tarragon (which I couldn't find), and lots of lemon in place of the vinegar (again, lack of supplies!). I've made it many times the original way and love it! This was the first time venturing off road.
over 2 years ago TiggyBee
I just love this recipe and have made it a few times now. It definitely should be in the contest this week!! : )
over 2 years ago Jennifer Ann
Thanks TiggyBee! I was encouraged by your comment, and did submit to the contest~
over 2 years ago melissav
Jennifer Ann - This is an absolutely delicious recipe. We made it a few weeks ago and will definitely be making it again soon - maybe even for Thanksgiving!
over 2 years ago Jennifer Ann
Thank you, Melissa! It is very nice to see your comment - I am happy that you liked the recipe (and are considering for Thanksgiving!)
almost 3 years ago Midge
Jennifer Ann-- I made this a few nights ago and loved it. What a great combo. Thanks!
almost 3 years ago Jennifer Ann
Thanks Midge! I am happy that you tried out the recipe (and glad that enjoyed it). My marjoram is almost big enough to harvest, so I will bet you can guess which recipe is next on my list :)
about 3 years ago Jennifer Ann
Thanks everyone for your nice comments! I am really glad you like the recipe (MammaMia - I hope you have a chance to try it soon)
about 3 years ago Audrey Tallulah
I can't believe I just found out about food 52 so late in the game!
Anyway, I loved this salad, even more delicious than I imagined when I read the recipe. A must try to fully appreciate!
Tip: I julienned the zucchini like Jennifer Ann suggested and it made beautiful soft ribbons. super elegant but not fussy.
about 3 years ago Franck
made with lamb (thanks Amanda)- loved it. Next time with fish on the grill...
about 3 years ago amanda
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
Glad you tried out the lamb-salad combo!
about 3 years ago Mammamia
Definitely will try this one. The ingredients sounds like a delicious, fresh tasting twist to our tried-and-true green beans.
about 3 years ago LLoquet
I made this last night for my husband's chef friend and it was a huge hit. a modern classic! so original without trying too hard. love that it is all green....