The first time I ever heard of the herb, Summer Savory or as they call it in German, Bohnenkraut, was when I moved to Switzerland. And it was only when I was introduced to this herb, green beans became exciting for me. Summer Savory and Green Beans are a match made in heaven and which is why they probably call it Bohnenkraut in German, which translates to Bean Herb (see more details on this herb in the notes part of the recipe).

With green beans in season, my mother-in-law’s Green Bean Salad with Summer Savory Herb & Sun-Dried Tomatoes is one of my summer staples and is a perfect side for a BBQ or a wonderful starter to a summer meal. To fancy it up, pair this salad with grilled piece of tuna. I assure you with this recipe, green beans will never be boring again.

INGREDIENTS: (serves 4)

1 lb. fresh green beans washed and trimmed (500 g)

1 tsp salt (5 g)

1 medium yellow onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove finely chopped

1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard (10 g)

4 tbsp apple cider vinegar (60 ml)

5 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil (75 ml)

2 tsp dried summer savory herb (10 g)

2-3 generous pinches of Maldon sea salt or fleur de sel

freshly cracked pepper to taste

4 sundried tomatoes thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash and trim the green beans.
2. In a medium saucepan, add enough water to cover half of the beans and 1 tsp salt  and steam for 15-20 minutes until the beans are fully cooked but still have a bite. Once cooked, strain the water from the beans and set aside.
3. While your beans are steaming, finely chop 1 medium-sized onion and 1 garlic clove.
4. In a salad bowl, add your chopped onion, garlic, mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, summer savory herb, Maldon sea salt, freshly cracked pepper and whisk the ingredients together until the dressing has emulsified.
5. Add the warm green beans to your dressing and mix well.
6. Allow the green beans to marinate in the dressing for at least 1 hour (at room temperature) or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. The longer the better.
7. Thinly slice the sun-dried tomatoes and mix them into the green beans before serving and add another pinch of Maldon sea salt and another dash of freshly cracked pepper if necessary as the green beans tend to absorb the dressing.

NOTES:

1. This salad is best to serve at room temperature.
2. You can purchase the herb, summer savory or Bohnenkraut as a dried herb. Sometimes you can find it fresh in the summer time, but the dried form is more intense in taste and I prefer it since I always have it in my pantry.