Green salad: Green beans, courgettes , tarragon, capers and peppercorns

Chat Leave a comment

Our new NutritionConfidence recipe created by dietitian, Mpho Tshukudu, is a flavour powerhouse and oh-so nutrient rich everything green salad. This is a great in between seasons – not completely cold, but also not a warm salad, for those in-between days.

 

Courgettes are indigenous to South Africa. They make beautiful salads, soups, stir-fries and can also be used in baking to add moisture and fibre to the dish. They are a relatively low kilojoule vegetable and are a source of fibre and vitamin C.

 

Serves 4 – 6

 

Ingredients:

  • 500 g Green beans, stems removed
  • 2 Courgettes, julienned and cut into 4 cm length
  • 3 Tbsp baobab mayonnaise OR 3 Tbsp or plain yoghurt dressing, mixed with 1 tbs cold-pressed oil (olive, avocado, sesame, marula)
  • 1 tsp dried tarragon OR 1 Tbsp fresh, chopped tarragon
  • 1/2 teaspoon green peppercorns, finely crushed
  • 3 teaspoon capers, drained and roughly chopped
  • Pinch of salt, or more to taste

 

Method:

  1. Prepare ice water bath
  2. Blanching: Using a big pot, bring about 2 cm water to boil. Add beans for 1-2
    minutes until bright green but still crisp.
  3. Drain and soak in an ice water bath for about 2 min bath, to stop cooking process
  4. Once cool, drain in cut into 4 cm lengths
  5. Add beans and courgette to a bowl
  6. Add baobab mayonnaise or yoghurt dressing and oil. Mix well
  7. Add capers, tarragon and peppercorn
  8. Add salt if needed

 

Baobab mayonnaise

  • ⅓ cup baobab powder
  • ¼  cup water
  • ⅓ cup oil

Put all ingredients in a high speed blender for 2 minutes until thick.

 

OR
Yoghurt Dressing

  • 3 Tbsp plain yoghurt
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • Whisk together

 

 

Notes:

  • The everything green salad.
  • The green beans are slightly blanched and the courgettes (baby marrow) are raw, giving the recipe a fresh and crisp texture. Baobab mayo is an alternative to the regular mayonnaise, it gives a slight tart taste with a creamy mouth-feel. Baobab is indigenous to Southern Africa and other tropical areas in Africa. The fruit is rich in insoluble fibre, vitamin C and calcium.
  • Capers are edible flower buds that add colour and build up the tangy taste.
  • Tarragon adds a slight liquorice flavor.

 

 

Nutritional analysis per serving of 4:

Energy: 570 kJ

Carbohydrates: 6

Protein: 3,2

Fat: 4,4 g

Fibre: 4,7 g