Green beans get a bad reputation. They’re synonymous with fall and thanksgivings, and yet beyond abundant throughout the entirety of summer. I feel, actually, like green beans are the vegetable equivalent of being told to sit up straight. Technically good for you, but nobody’s excited about it (except in a green bean casserole, and even then it’s a niche fanbase). Which is exactly why I built this recipe the way I did, with a from scratch creamy vegan dressing to go with it. If a green bean disliker is going to eat these virtuous guys, I’d at least like to ensure it tastes like were all getting away with something more indulgent together.
This dressing, as assumed, does most of the work. Blend sun-dried tomatoes (the oil-packed kind is best but if you’re like me, rehydrate the dry kind first) with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and a little water until it’s smooth and thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon. That’s it. That’s the whole trick. It comes out somewhere between a romesco sauce and a really confident creamy hummus, and it tastes like it took a lot longer than it actually does.
The beans themselves just need a quick blanch; 2-3 minutes in boiling water with a little salt, then straight into an ice bath so they stay bright green. Dry them off well or the dressing slides right off instead of sitting where you put it.
When it comes to assembly, I opted to just dollop the dressing on in spoonfuls and let the green show through underneath on the green beans. It looks more finished, it tastes better bite to bite (some beans get more dressing, some less, which — trust me — is a feature), and it’s truly my lazy girl less work than tossing it and having another dish to wash (or a really messy one its served in. Scatter finely diced red onion and sliced Kalamata olives over the top, finish with flaky salt and a good crack of black pepper, and you’re done.
Serve it room temp or just barely warm. Warm if you can as my official vote. If you had to do cold from the fridge, just keep in mind that the dressing tightens up and loses that silkiness it’s got going on, so keep it room temperature and separate if possible in that case.
Tag me @herbyeater if you make it and post to socials, as always!
Mediterranean Green Beans with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Ice bath / bowl of ice water
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans 454g, trimmed
- 1/4 cup red onion 35g, finely diced
- 3 tbsp Kalamata olives 30g, sliced into rings
- Flaky salt to taste
- Cracked black pepper to taste
For the Sun-Dried Tomato Tahini Dressing:
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes oil-packed (about 45g), drained
- 1/4 cup tahini 60g
- 2 tbsp lemon juice 30ml
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 tbsp water 30–60ml, to thin
- 1 tbsp olive oil 15ml
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and blanch for 2–3 minutes, until bright green and just tender.
- Drain and immediately transfer green beans to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain again and pat dry.
- In a blender or food processor, combine sun-dried tomatoes, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and 2 tbsp water. Blend until smooth, adding more water as needed to reach a thick but spoonable consistency. Season with salt to taste.
- Arrange green beans on a serving plate.
- Dollop the dressing over the beans in spoonfuls — no need to fully coat, unless you really want to.
- Scatter red onion and olives over the top. Finish with flaky salt and a generous crack of black pepper.