Dish of Green Bean SaladMushroom Garlic Salad
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Green Bean Salad


Spain   -   Champioñones al Ajillo
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 7 Salad
**
1 hr
Best		 This outstanding salad is best made a day ahead and refrigerated. It can also be made with short sticks of cooked potato instead of beans.

1-1/2
1/2
ar
14
4
4
2
2
------
1/4
1/4
1/4
1/4
1/3
1/4
------
2
few
#
T

oz
oz
oz
cl
t
---
c
c
t
t
t
t
---

Green Beans
Salt
Water, boiling
Kidney Beans (1)  
Bell Pepper, red (2)
Onion, red
Garlic
Mint, fresh
-- Dressing
Sherry Vinegar (3)
Olive Oil ExtV
Oregano, dry
Chili Flake (4)
Salt
Pepper
-- Garnish
Eggs, hard boiled
Olives, Black (5)
Do-Ahead   -   (9 hrs for dried beans - 15 min work)
  1. If using dried KIDNEY BEANS soak at least 8 hours in lightly salted water (see Soaking / Brining Dried Beans). Drain, rinse and simmer in water to cover until just tender. Drain and cool.
  2. Hard Boil EGGS (if used) by best method Boiling Eggs.
Salad   -   (45 min)
  1. Tip and tail GREEN BEANS and cut them into 2 to 4 inch random lengths. Cook them in boiling salted (1/2 T) water until crisp tender - 8 to 10 minutes depending on maturity. Refresh in cold water and drain.
  2. Blast BELL PEPPER black with your Propane Torch. Brush off skin under running water. Dice about 3/8 inch.
  3. Dice RED ONION about 3/8 inch.
  4. Crush GARLIC and chop fine.
  5. Chop MINT small.
  6. Mix all Salad items.
Dressing   -   (5 min)
  1. Mix all Dressing items items in a small jar so they can be shaken vigorously before pouring.
  2. Shake up Dressing, pour over Salad and tumble gently to coat. Let marinate for at least 1 hour to blend flavors, turning a couple of times. Better, this salad can be kept refrigerated up to 24 hours. I refrigerate in a sealed plastic bag, turning it over now and then.
Garnish   -   (10 min)
  1. Pit the OLIVES if needed.
  2. Serve chilled, garnished with pitted Olives and slices of boiled Egg. For buffet service skip the Eggs, use more Olives and just mix them in.
NOTES:

  1. Kidney Beans:

      Weight is cooked. Large white kidney beans are most used in Spain, but the dark red ones more common in North America will work fine. I use good quality canned because dried ones sometimes break up too much in cooking. A 15 oz can yields about 8 ounces, while 1 cup soaked and cooked = 14 ounces.

  2. Red Bell Pepper:

      Actually, I often use a red Anaheim pepper which gives the salad just a touch of heat, in which the Chili Flake can be skipped if desired.

  3. Sherry Vinegar:

      This vinegar is more acid than regular wine vinegar (8% vs 5%). If you use white or red Wine Vinegar, use 1 T more.

  4. Chili Flake:

      I use Aleppo Extra Hot, which is actually quite mild, so the given amount will give this salad an almost unnoticeable bite. Adjust to your preference.

  5. Olives:

      These should be Mediterranean olives, not California salad olives (unless those are all you have). Turkish black olives are readily available in vacuum packs and are excellent. I usually use pre-pitted small Kalamatas available from a nearby deli.
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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