Maybe it’s a sign that I’m getting older, but a truly well-made salad feels like such a luxury. The first incredible salad I ever had was this one that mum used to make — it’s so well balanced, both flavour-wise and texturally. In college, my salad of choice was a mix of lettuce, with equal parts croutons, a boiled egg, tossed with Caesar and balsamic vinaigrette. Not my finest moment, but it was the only fibre I got those 4 years. Lately, I’ve been making this salad a lot. It always feels like a treat, which is honestly, the highest compliment a salad could receive, don’t you think?
On the first night in Paris last week, we got this green bean nectarine salad as an appetiser and it was so good, I knew I had to make it when I got home. The key I think is to find the most tender green beans you can, and the sweetest stone fruit — nectarines, peaches, apricots, would all be delicious. At the restaurant, they cut the nectarine into thin slices, but after making it all of last week, I found that I liked it best when it was cut into uneven chunks because it just holds the dressing better.
Green Bean, Cherry Tomato & Peach Salad
Ingredients
200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
150 g green beans, trimmed
1 ripe peach, pitted and cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Splash of apple cider vinegar
For the vinaigrette
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp grainy mustard
Salt, to taste
Method
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the green beans and cook for 8 minutes, until tender-crisp. Drain and immediately plunge into a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the sliced shallot and garlic with a splash of apple cider vinegar. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt until the mixture emulsifies and thickens slightly. The dressing needs to be on the sharper side of balanced, so adjust with more vinegar if needed. The flavour will even out once its mixed through the salad.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the vinaigrette and toss to coat.
Drain the green beans and pat them dry. Add them to the bowl with the tomatoes, along with the quick-pickled shallots and garlic (including the pickling liquid). Gently fold in the peach chunks.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. You can serve it immediately, but I like to let it sit in the fridge for a bit.