Ottolenghi’s charred green bean salad

For those who know and love their classic Ottolenghi salads this is something of a greatest hits collection. The French bean and mangetout salad in the first Ottolenghi cookbook – with hazelnut and orange – is for many still a go-to. Dates, oranges, tahini, bulgur: they’ve all met, in various guises, in various salads. The tahini sauce alone is drinkable, and certainly something to be drizzled over all sorts of other things: roasted squash, grilled chicken or fish.

Ingredients

• 400g green beans, trimmed

• 1½ tbsp olive oil

• 100g cooked grains
  (bulgur, couscous or
  quinoa)

• 30g blanched
  hazelnuts, toasted
  and roughly chopped

• 1 tsp caraway seeds,
  toasted and lightly
  crushed

• 1–2 oranges, 1 tsp
  finely grated zest, 2 tbsp
  juice, plus extra to serve

• 3 Medjool dates,
  pitted and thinly sliced

• 10g mint leaves,
  roughly torn

• 40g tahini

• 1 tsp date molasses
  (or maple syrup or honey)

• fine sea salt and
  black pepper

Method

1. Step 1

   Place a large frying pan on a high heat. Toss the beans with ½ tablespoon of oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt, then add them to the pan – in three batches – and cook for 2–3 minutes, until charred. Transfer to a large shallow serving bowl and set aside until barely warm. Add the cooked grains, remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the hazelnuts, caraway seeds, orange zest, dates, mint, ¼ teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Use tongs to toss and turn everything together.

2. Step 2

   In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, 2 tablespoons of orange juice, date molasses, 1 tablespoon of water and ¼ teaspoon of salt until smooth. Drizzle some of the sauce over the salad, serving any extra on the side. Finish with a good squeeze of orange juice.