Green beans and potatoes are a classic combination, reminding me once again that the simplest recipes are often the best. The magic of this side dish is the tahini dressing. A lemon-tahini-cumin dressing to be exact. Oh and lets not forgot about fresh parsley. it’s a key ingredient to making the overall flavor magical.
We loved this so much we ate it for dinner… ALL BY ITSELF.
Tahini — a versatile pantry item
Odds are if you have a jar of tahini around, it’s because you love hummus. I definitely do. But there are so many other ways to put tahini to use. Tahini tastes great with tangy ingredients like lemon, yogurt, even buttermilk making it a fantastic ingredient for salad dressings or dips with a Middle Eastern flair. It’s a terrific partner with chickpeas, roasted carrots, eggplant and even with noodles of all sorts. Another favorite variation is a dressing made with tahini, garlic, lemon, roasted sesame oil and tamari. So tasty!
Tahini green beans and potatoes of your choice
You’ll want to choose waxy potatoes that hold their shape well for salads. Red skinned, fingerling or baby new potatoes are also great choices, especially since they have a thin skin which doesn’t need to be peeled, meaning less work! I choose market fresh locally grown potatoes for this recipe and boiled them whole, with the skin on, then peeled them. I tend to think they cook better without taking on water and going mushy. The green beans are simply blanched and then shocked in an ice bath so they keep their beautiful bright green color.
Middle Eastern inspiration
This inspiration for this tahini green beans and potatoes recipe comes from my friend and Pilates instructor, Anna. She is the queen of bringing Middle Eastern flavors into every day simple meals. And she has ALL of Ottolenghi’s cookbooks! We enjoyed a salad similar to this one this past summer while BBQing on the Alster. I recall an amazing lemon-tahini dressing and green beans, cause I love them so much, but there was something else there too. And because of all raves and reminders from my favorite Scwhabe, I have finally made my own delicious version.
Tahini Green Beans and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 650 g potatoes
- 350 g green beans, trimmed
- 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Tahini-Cumin Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup lukewarm water (60 ml)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Method
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In a large pot, cover the unpeeled potatoes with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes, depending on size. Drain, let steam evaporate, cool slightly, then, using a paring knife, peel while still warm. Slice (or quarter) the peeled potatoes into a large serving bowl.
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Meanwhile, blanch the green beans in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, for about 2-3 minutes (or to desired degree of doneness). Drain and cool under cold running water (or plunge into an ice bath). Shake out the excess water.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, water, cumin and salt until well combined.
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Transfer the blanched green beans to the bowl with the potatoes. Add the parsley and the dressing, toss to combine.
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Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
I recommend regular tahini over white tahini since I think it has more flavor. And that’s what want here — flavor! 🙂
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