Green Bean, Shell Bean, and Sweet Onion Fattoush

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Photo: NGOC MINH NGO
Prep Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
55 mins
Servings:
4

Fattoush is a refreshing Middle Eastern bread-and-vegetable salad. You can blanch all of the beans in the same pot: first the green beans, then the shell beans (but not the other way around, since shell beans release a lot of starch). This recipe appears in our cookbook Martha Stewart's Vegetables (Clarkson Potter).

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

  • ½ pound green beans or haricots verts, trimmed

  • ¾ cup shelled fresh shell beans, such as lima or cranberry

  • 3 pitas (each 6 inches)

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

  • ½ large Vidalia onion, chopped

  • 1 English cucumber, quartered and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 4 ounces feta, crumbled

  • ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish

  • cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette

Directions

  1. Prepare an ice bath. Simmer green beans in a pot of salted boiling water until crisp-tender and bright green, about 1 minute. Transfer beans to ice bath, reserving pot of water; let beans cool, then remove and pat dry. Place in a large bowl.

  2. Return water to a boil. Simmer shell beans until just tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to ice bath; let cool, then drain and pat dry. Combine with green beans.

  3. Heat a grill (or grill pan) to medium. Split each pita in half. Brush both sides of pita halves with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill pitas, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 1 minute a side. Let cool, then tear into 1-inch pieces.

  4. Add onion, cucumber, feta, herbs, and pita to beans; drizzle with 1/2 cup vinaigrette and toss well to combine. Season with salt and pepper; garnish with mint. Let stand at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour before serving.

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, July 2004

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