Summer Pole Bean Salad With Walnuts and Mint
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Salad
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 each onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 each tomatoes, chopped
- 1 lb fresh green, purple, and/or yellow pole beans
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup Turkish dressing (below)
- 2 TBS fresh mint, chopped
- 2 TBS walnuts, toasted
- For the Turkish dressing
- 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup bread, crust removed, torn into pieces
- 1 cup water or milk
- juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1. Wash the fresh pole beans and cut them into 2-inch pieces.
- 2. In a large heavy pan, fry the onion slices until golden. Add the garlic and fry 1-2 more minutes.
- 3. Add the tomatoes and their juices, stir and smash to break up the tomatoes. Cook on medium high heat 5-7 minutes.
- 4. Add the beans, salt, and water. Cook on high heat 5 minutes to steam the beans. Turn down the heat and continue to cook until beans are glazed with tomato sauce.
- 5. To make the Turkish dressing, combine ½ cup walnuts, bread pieces, and 1 cup water or milk in a food processor or blender until smooth. It should be a thick sauce about the consistency of mayonnaise. Once it is blended, stir in the juice of 1 lemon and salt and pepper to taste.
- 6. Mix the cooked pole beans with the Turkish dressing, fresh mint, and whole toasted walnuts. Chill and enjoy cold or at room temperature.
Notes
- Not Included in Large Culinary Inspirations Box: whole black peppercorns, olive oil, milk
- Tips
- • This recipe is based on a famous salad from the Ciragan Hotel in Istanbul.
- • To purge the bitterness from walnuts, you can put them in water and bring to a boil for 15 seconds, then drain. Then use them for the Turkish dressing for a much milder version.
- • If you have walnut oil, try it in this recipe instead of olive oil.