Salad of Green Beans, Chinese Garlic Stems, and Olives

Name: Salad of Green Beans, Chinese Garlic Stems, and Olives
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 10 oil-cured black olives; ½ pound green beans (see Note); ½ teaspoon freeze-dried green peppercorns or ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon white pepper; ½ teaspoon fennel seeds; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon freeze-dried green peppercorns or ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon white pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 medium Belgian endive; 6 ounces Chinese garlic stems

Preparation info

Serves
4

Appears in

Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini

By Elizabeth Schneider

Published 2001

About

This light and crunchy salad looks as if it were made entirely of green beans—but a sniff reveals the garlic stems, which appear to be almost identical. The fragrance of crushed fennel seed adds a sweet note, and slivers of oily black olive contribute their winy richness. Shreds of Belgian endive lighten color, texture, and flavor.

Ingredients

6 ounces Chinese garlic stems
½ pound green beans (see Note)
10

Asia
China
Side dish
Gluten-free
Vegan

Method

Bend bottom of each garlic stem to snap it off where it breaks naturally (tender ones don’t need trimming). Drop into a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil until not quite tender, a minute or two. Lift out (save water for beans) into ice water. Drain and pat dry.
Trim stems from beans. At an angle, cut beans into 1½- to 2½-inch lengths, approximately, as si