Japanese Style Green Beans with Toasted Sesame Dressing

This is an elegant and deceptively simple salad that will leave you curiously addicted to green beans. The dressing can be made ahead of time, and you'll want to make a double batch to keep in the fridge. Trust me.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups green beans, ends trimmed
  • 2 tbs vegetable oil
  • ⅓ cup toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
  • Salt to taste

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Throw in the green beans and allow them to cook for just a minute or so, or until they just begin to blister.
  2. Place the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and process to a paste; be careful not to overprocess into tahini-like smoothness — you want it to have texture.
  3. Toss with the green beans and serve warm, or room temp.

About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.