Plum, Green Beans & Pesto Salad

One of my most favourite things to eat is salads… Simply because they are easy to make, usually involve fresh (not cooked ingredients) and just taste so good. As a result, I’m always on the lookout for new salad recipes, so when I saw this pretty Plum & Green Beans salad in the June / July issue of O Magazine, I just had to try it!

I love the simple, yet elegant, restaurant style design / layout, and the fresh ingredients made my mouth water from the first moment I saw the photo…

To make this fresh summer salad you will need the following ingredients:

Fresh Red Plums, Green Beans, Basil, Garlic, Almonds, Lemon, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan cheese), Balsamic Vinegar (not pictured).

Submerge the green beans in a pot with water & salt & boil on medium – high heat for about 5-6 minutes, or until the beans turn a fresh green color. Do NOT over cook the beans; you don’t want to them to turn soft & mushy; the texture should be nice & crunchy.

In a separate bowl, prepare an icy bath for the green beans & submerge them in this bath right after you take them off the heat & drain the hot water. What this does is shocks the beans, which intensifies the fresh green color.

Note: You can do this with other veggies as well, such as broccoli & snow peas

To make a fresh pesto sauce, combine fresh basil, almonds, garlic cloves, lemon juice in a food processor & pulse together until all the ingredients are well mixed. You might have to stop and scrape the sides a few times.

Drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil to the mixture to soften it up, and add the creaminess…

Now scrape off the mixture into a bowl and grate some parmesan cheese on top. Season with salt & pepper to taste and mix together…

Now cut the plums right in the middle, and take out the seeds. Slice the plums into thin slices, and arrange in a round pattern on a plate overlapping each other…

Drain the beans and put in a mixing bowl. Add in the pesto sauce & toss together, until the beans are well coated with the pesto.

Arrange the green beans on top of the plums in two layers, vertical at first, and then horizontal for the second layer.

Grate some parmesan cheese on top. Using a tea-spoon, drizzle some pesto sauce around the plate in dots and drizzle small amount of balsamic vinegar on top for some plate decor and for a little taste kick.

As a last step arrange a few small basil leaves on top and around the plate & Voila – you have got yourself a restaurant style salad to serve to your guests, who will marvel at your culinary abilities! =)

Plum & Green Beans Salad
Makes: 4-5 servings
Prep Time: 15-20 min, 5-8 min of boiling

Ingredients:

1/4 pound Green Beans
5 – 6 Whole Fresh Red Plums
1 bunch of Fresh Basil
1/2 whole unsalted Almonds
2-3 cloves of Garlic
1 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup juice of Fresh Lemon
3-4 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste

This salad is simply divine. The unexpected mixture of flavours will entice your taste buds and will make your heart sing!

It’s healthy, fast & absolutely delicious!

Make it soon… I promise you & everyone else who will enjoy it with you will love it!

Bon Appétit!