Directions:
German bean salad is not an exact recipe. You can just cook the fresh green beans in salted water, drain and sprinkle a little vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper on it and it's simple and schmect gut! This recipe is reminiscent of the 3 or 4 bean salad that has been a side dish in households for several generations coming conveniently in a can. It always seems to get eaten even though it isn't the prettiest gal on the block.
Gather your ingredients. Of course you can cook your own beans, but the canned is what we grew up with and it is near and dear to us.
I like rice vinegar as it is not as strong as other vinegars. I like Oregano, but there are other Italian herbs you can use and it will taste similar.
I do not have pictured here Xantham gum. but it is usually available at the grocery store or online.
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Open the cans of beans and drain them. Rinse the beans with water.
Bring the vinegar, water and sugar and Xantham gum if you want, to a simmer.
Add the herbs and pepper
After the dressing cools down, add it to the beans.
Add the green onions and you are done. I keep it in a mason jar and it keeps for at least a month in the fridge.
It is like pickles, vinegar and sugar.
If the Beans are large they can be a bit tough and folks like to French cut them either with a tool or you can slice them long ways with a knife.
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cut them on a diagonal also. |
Some folks will just freehand sprinkle a little olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper just to accent the nice fresh taste of these beans. Otherwise mix the ingredients of the dressing in the bowl.
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Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. |
I like a slightly thickened dressing that you see when you open up a can of 3 or 4 bean salad, So I use a very little Xanathan gum, a natural product. You can just add a tiny amount to the cold salad dressing and it will thicken it. |
Xanthan Gum, 4 oz.from Amazon.com
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One way to thicken the dressing for 3 bean salad, is with a product called Xanathan gum. This is a bad choice of names I think, making it sound like it has been brewed in lab. I have read about it and can't really explain it but it is gluten free.
Read more about it here
This kind of gum is used in thickening most of your bottled salad dressings that you buy. I think that they use way too much!
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Here I added Kidney Beans. Another favorite is Garbanzo beans |
The addition of potatoes and radish slices makes a nice combination salad |
My friend Trudy Maynard from Baden Würtemberg suggests for an Asian touch
Add just a bit of sesame oil and soy sauce.
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