Dragon tongue beans may be my new favorite ingredient.
They’re a cross somewhere between a snap pea and a green bean. They’re good raw, they’re good cooked. They change colors, you guys.
A couple weeks back, I dipped my toes into dragon tongue beans by pairing them with pancetta and mushrooms. This week, I’m playing up their snap pea vibes and using them in a really fresh, ironically summer like salad. It’s fall—I get it—but let’s just appreciate the amount of crunch this salad has.
The inspiration for this salad comes from a party I hosted back in the middle of the summer, when my friend Sarah brought over the freshest, crunchiest pea salad that was full of herbs, lemons, and cheese. I don’t know all the specifics, but I was definitely trying to pull out those flavors I remembered.
While making this salad, I paid very close attention to cutting the beans on the bias for a more beautiful look. Then I stopped paying close attention to the knife and instead got distracted by The Daily Show. Until I took off a nice slice off my thumb. Even so, it was totally worth it, even if I had to eat it holding one hand above my head.
- ½ pound dragon tongue beans, trimmed and sliced on the bias into ½ inch pieces
- 1 small fennel bulb, bulb cored & thinly sliced, fronds reserved
- 1 large or 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- zest of ½ a lemon
- Pinch Kosher salt
- 3 ounces feta, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fennel fronds, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- In a large bowl, combine dragon tongue beans, fennel, and shallots.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, zest, and salt.
- Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to coat. Stir in feta, parsley, and fennel fronds. Add pepper to taste.
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