Author: Pamela, adapted from "The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen" by Peter Berley
Ingredients
For the Green Beans and Shallots:
3Tablespoonskosher salt
2large shallotsthinly sliced
1 ½poundsstring beanstrimmed
1Tablespoonapple cider vinegarpreferably raw
½teaspoonsea salt
pinchfreshly ground black pepper
For The Vinaigrette:
2Tablespoonsfreshly squeezed lemon juice
1TablespoonDijon mustard
1small glove garliccrushed
1teaspoonmild honeypreferably raw
½teaspoonsea salt
1/8teaspooncayenne pepper
3Tablespoonsunrefinedcold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Spread a clean kitchen towel on a baking sheet and set aside.
In a large pot, bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add kosher salt.
Place the sliced shallots in a bowl and cover with 2 cups of the boiling water. Cover the bowl with a plate and set aside for 10-15 minutes.
Drop the beans in to the remaining boiling water and cook, uncovered, for 4 to 6 minutes, until crisp tender. Drain the beans and spread them on the cloth-lined pan.
Drain the shallots and toss them with the vinegar, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Set aside.
To make the vinaigrette, combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, honey, salt and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk in the oil until creamy.
Drain the shallots once again and squeeze dry. Add the shallots and the string beans to the vinaigrette and toss well. Sprinkle with another pinch of sea salt or to taste.
If you have time, let it marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving just to allow the flavors to permeate the beans. If you don't have time, they'll still be great.
Notes
These really aren't that spicy, perhaps a 3 on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the hottest. But you can certainly adjust the level of heat to your liking by increasing or decreasing the cayenne.