Equipment
Ingredients
Blanched Beans
- 250 g fresh green beans, trimmed
- 250 g wax beans, trimmed
- 3000 ml water, liquid
- 30 g fine sea salt
- 500 g ice cubes
- 1500 ml cold water, liquid
Tomato Vinaigrette
- 1 ripe plum tomato, fresh
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 15 ml red wine vinegar
- 5 g dijon mustard
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Salad Assembly
- 75 g pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
- 15 g fresh basil leaves, fresh whole leaves
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 648 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 355 mg
- Calcium
- 63 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 36 mg
- Phosphorus
- 52 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 61 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 22 mg
- Water
- 145 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine 500g ice cubes and 1500ml cold water in a large mixing bowl to create an ice bath.
Add 3000ml water and 30g fine sea salt to a stockpot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat at 100°C (212°F).
Submerge the 250g trimmed green beans and 250g trimmed wax beans into the boiling water and cook until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.
Transfer the blanched beans immediately into the ice bath using a spider skimmer, submerging them completely for 3 minutes to stop all residual cooking.
Pour the chilled beans into a colander to drain, then spread them in a single layer over a clean kitchen towel to dry completely.
Grate the cut side of the halved ripe plum tomato against the coarse side of a box grater set inside a small mixing bowl, stopping once only the flat skin remains.
Add the minced shallot, 15ml red wine vinegar, 5g dijon mustard, 3g fine sea salt, and 1g cracked black pepper to the grated tomato pulp and whisk until dissolved.
Pour 45ml extra-virgin olive oil into the tomato base in a steady stream while whisking vigorously until loosely emulsified.
Place the dried green beans, wax beans, and 75g halved kalamata olives into a large serving bowl, then pour the tomato vinaigrette over the top.
Toss the ingredients gently until thoroughly coated, tear the 15g fresh basil leaves over the salad by hand, fold once to distribute, and serve.
Chef's Notes
- Grating ripe tomatoes against a box grater is a classic Mediterranean technique that quickly extracts fresh pulp and nectar while naturally leaving behind bitter, leathery skins.
- Wax beans and standard green beans have slightly different skin thicknesses; test one pod of each color at the 3-minute mark to verify both have achieved optimal crisp-tenderness.
- Always tear basil leaves by hand right before plating rather than cutting with a knife to avoid bruising the delicate cell walls and darkening the edges.
- For the cleanest presentation, dress the salad no more than 30 minutes before serving, which keeps the bean skins crisp and vibrant.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight glass container at or below 4°C (40°F). Consume within 24 hours of dressing for optimal crispness and vibrant green color.
Reheating: Serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Do not reheat.
Troubleshooting
Beans turn dull olive green and feel mushy
Cause: Beans were boiled too long or left in hot blanching water without rapid ice bath chilling
Fix: Cannot be fixed texturally; serve cold promptly as flavor remains intact
Prevention: Strictly time blanching to 3 to 4 minutes and shock immediately in abundant ice water
Vinaigrette turns watery and pools at the bottom of the bowl
Cause: Blanched beans were not dried adequately before tossing with dressing
Fix: Tilt the bowl to spoon away accumulated water, then drizzle with an additional 15ml olive oil and toss
Prevention: Roll the shocked beans thoroughly inside a clean kitchen towel before assembly
Vinaigrette tastes overly sour or sharp
Cause: The tomato used lacked natural sweetness or had high acidity
Fix: Whisk an additional 10ml extra-virgin olive oil or a tiny pinch of salt into the dressing
Prevention: Select vine-ripened, aromatic summer tomatoes with high sugar content
Cultural Context
This dish reflects the sun-drenched culinary traditions of Southern France and coastal Spain, where peak-season green beans (haricots verts) are tossed with briny cured olives and fresh garden herbs. Rather than using cooked tomato pastes, it incorporates grated fresh tomato dressing inspired by Catalan pan con tomate techniques, celebrating ephemeral summer produce at its lightest and most refreshing.
