A lovely salad that works any time of the year alongside grilled meat or fish. By roasting the onions first, you add another layer of flavor to the dressing, which would go equally well with potatoes or cauliflower. If you dress the vegetables while they are still warm, they’ll take on more flavor still.
SERVES: 4–6
INGREDIENTS:
- 9 ounces green beans
- 4 ounces sugarsnap peas
- Roughly chopped mint and parsley
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
- 2 red onions, peeled
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for roasting
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- First make the vinaigrette. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Place the onions in a roasting pan with a little olive oil, the thyme, garlic, and a little salt and roast for 25–30 minutes until the onions are completely cooked and have a nice roasted flavor.
- Remove the onions from the pan and chop into rough dice (you want the dressing to have a rustic texture).
- Mix the onions with the ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil and the sherry vinegar and season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
- To make the salad, blanch the beans and peas by plunging them in boiling salted water for 1½ minutes until their rawness has been removed but they are still crunchy. Refresh immediately in cold water, then remove and put onto paper towels to absorb the moisture. Cut each bean into bite-sized pieces.
- Put the chopped beans into a large bowl, stir in the red onion dressing, and toss with the mint and parsley.
- Serve immediately in chilled salad bowls.
