Discover the flavours and textures of this Italian Potato and Bean Salad, a perfect dish for summer. This healthy, filling, and nutrient-rich salad makes an excellent vegetarian or vegan meal option, providing a good source of protein from kidney beans and green beans.
In this salad, the green beans are kept raw and marinated in a zesty lemon dressing with onions, adding a wonderful crisp texture and crunch to the salad. I recommend using fine or extra fine French green beans or “haricots verts” that are crisp, delicate and sweet.
If you are sensitive to eating beans on the raw side or have a different, more robust variety of string beans, you can steam them for a few minutes and blanch them in ice water to keep them crispy. I’ve never had any problems eating them raw and marinated in a salad. But what you don’t want is soggy beans.
French green beans are longer, thinner and less bitter than regular North American string beans. Look for dark green, slender beans with smooth skin and stems. They should snap easily when broken and, as much as possible, be free from spots or dents.
The step-by-step recipe and short video are below.
Italian Potato Bean Salad
Serves 6
SALAD INGREDIENTS
- 800 gr small firm potatoes, washed/brushed with peels on
- 200 gr fine French green beans (haricots verts fins)
- 1 red onion, sliced fine
- 1 tablespoon (tbsp) capers, drained
- 1 jar or tin (350-400 gr) red kidney beans, drained with sieve & rinsed
- 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- Fresh herbs: parsley and oregano, chopped fine
- Salt & ground pepper, to taste
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated—can add directly in salad or in dressing below
Lemon Dressing
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (tsp) Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- Pinch of salt & pepper to taste
- 1 garlic clove (omit if added in salad)
Put all ingredients into a small blender or NutriBullet bowl and blend until creamy.
*Note: You will not use all of the salad dressing. Follow the procedure below.
PROCEDURE
1. On stove top in a large pot bring salted water to a boil.
2. Transfer the potatoes whole, with larger ones cut in half to make them even in size, into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook covered for about 15-20 minutes and until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork. They should still hold their shape and be a bit firm.
3. Drain the water with a colander and let the potatoes cool completely on countertop.
4. Make the dressing in the blender.
5. Trim the dry ends of the green beans and chop them into 2-inch pieces, more or less. In a separate bowl, add the chopped green beans, onions and capers along with 3 tbsps of the salad dressing. Toss and let marinate for 30 minutes or more or up until the potatoes have cooled. Note that if you are sensitive to raw beans or have a different variety of string beans, you can steam them beforehand for a few minutes, blanch them in ice water then pat dry and proceed with recipe. However, I’ve never had any problems eating them raw and marinated in a salad.
6. Prepare the remaining salad ingredients.
7. Once potatoes are cool, slice them into halves or quarters and transfer into a large salad bowl.
8. Add the marinated green beans, onion and capers to the potatoes and toss. Then add the kidney beans, cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, grated garlic clove, salt and pepper. Toss well.
9. Add 2 tablespoons of the dressing or just enough to coat all the ingredients. Add salt and pepper. Toss well again. Taste and adjust dressing and seasonings.
10. Serve and enjoy with extra salad dressing on the side.
11. Store leftover salad and dressing in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Video music courtesy of Copyright Free Music – Background Music for Videos
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