Green Beans with a Mountain of Panko is my latest statement side dish invention! Blanched beans smothered in a billowy tahini yogurt sauce piled high with a mountain of crunchy parmesan panko breadcrumbs. Easy. Make-ahead. Snack-worthy!

My latest green bean side dish invention

Today’s dish has me deep in the throes of a green-bean-munching obsession. It’s supposed to be a vegetable side, but to me it’s an enormous pile of snacking-worthy food that you literally cannot stop eating once you start.

Let me paint the picture for you.

There’s a good amount of unremarkable looking blanched green beans. (Nobody is jumping up and down at this stage.)

They’re smothered with a generous amount of billowy tahini yogurt sauce (people start to perk up). Then an enormous mound of golden salty parmesan panko is piled on top (people start gathering).

Then said people dig in. And they quickly realise that the sauce acts as a glue so you get a generous amount of parmesan-panko crunch with every bite of green bean……

If every vegetable side dish was this amazing, EVERYBODY would eat their greens!!!

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make your new favourite green beans recipe!

Green beans

Yes! You need green beans for this recipe!! 😂

whipped tahini yogurt sauce

This is my current favourite sauce that I’ve been using excessively on “everything”, such as the recent Sweet Potato Steaks and Pan Fried Eggplant. “Whipped” sounds fancy for a sauce that takes 20 seconds to whisk!! 😂 I use the name as a clue of the texture which is more light and fluffy than a basic yogurt sauce. It’s almost like soft whipped cream.

• Plain yoghurt – Not sweetened, and not flavoured. 

• Tahini – Paste made with sesame seeds. Usually found in the health food aisle at grocery stores. Use hulled tahini (more common), not un-hulled which is darker and more bitter. The jar label will specify which it is. Use Chinese sesame paste as a sub if you have leftovers from other recipes I’ve shared, like this one or this one!

• Lemon – For tangy lemon flavour.

• Garlic – Because it makes it tastier. Finely grate it using a microplane so you don’t have big lumps in the sauce.

CRUNCHY TOPPING

Parmesan and panko breadcrumbs fried up in olive oil until golden and crunchy. You know it’s gonna be good!

• Panko breadcrumbs – A Japanese breadcrumb favoured for the extra-crispy coating it gives crumbed foods. You can buy it at most big supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths) in the Asian foods section and Asian stores. Substitute with regular breadcrumbs if you can’t find it.

• Parmesan – Grate your own (better flavour) or use store bought pre-grated (the sandy type).

• Olive oil – For pan frying until golden.

How to make Green Beans with a Mountain of Panko

The recipe in my working files is articulately written up as:

• Beans – Boil, drain, cool, toss.

• Tahini sauce – Whisk, microwave 20 sec, whisk again.

• Panko – Mix, pan fry.

I did promise you easy! Here are step photos (and a few more words on each of those steps!).

Preparing & cooking green beans

Obviously pros should blow right past this section (or read it and share your opinions in the comments section below!).

1. Trimming – Only the stem end of the beans needs to be trimmed but to do this, you need all the beans lined up in the same direction which is (speaking frankly) a pain to do. I only do that for company (and recipe photos 😂). In reality, I just grab handfuls, line one end up, cut, line up the other end, cut.

2. Boiling – Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the beans, let it come back up to the boil (this might take 1 to 2 minutes) then cook for 2 minutes.

3. NO ICE! Drain the beans in a colander then run the beans under the tap for 10 seconds to stop them cooking further. There is no need to waste your precious cocktail ice on this step. Tap water is all you need!

4. Dry – Spread the beans out on a tea towel and pat dry. Or, if you have the time, just leave them to air dry. We need to dry them else the oil won’t stick and they will taste watery.

5. Season – Put the beans in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.

6. Temperature – The beans can be used warm or at room temperature in this recipe, but not piping hot (else it makes the sauce melt).

Everything else

1. Golden panko – Mix the panko, parmesan and olive oil in a bowl. Then toast in a non-stick pan for 4 to 5 minutes until golden. Let it cool before using.

2. Whipped tahini yogurt sauce – Whisk the ingredients in a heatproof bowl just to combine. Microwave for 20 seconds on high, then whisk again. Watch as it transforms into almost like a softly whipped cream consistency! This can be used immediately, or set aside for a while (just microwave/whisk again if needed to loosen).

   No microwave? Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with 1″/2.5 cm of simmering water. Then whisk – as the mixture warms up slightly, it will transform into the whipped cream texture.

3. Assembling – Pile the green beans on a large plate. Pour the Whipped Tahini Yogurt Sauce over then pile the panko on top. Then serve!

4. Proof of tastiness – Look how happy I am!

Make-ahead dream

As mentioned from the outset, this dish came about because I was after a new green bean side dish that could be prepared ahead but with an element of “wow” factor. It’s coming up to holiday season, we can do better than plain steamed beans!! 😂

So the beauty of this recipe is that it can be entirely prepared ahead then assembled in a matter of minutes. It’s a dish that is intended to be served at room temperature, so there’s no reheating to be done.

Here’s how to make ahead:

1. Beans – Cook today, refrigerate overnight. Take out of the fridge and bring to room temperature, then toss in oil, salt and pepper just prior to serving (once tossed the oil starts to dull the vibrant green colour of the skin).

2. Whipped tahini sauce – Mix together, don’t microwave. Refrigerate overnight. Then do the microwave and finally whisk prior to serving. This sauce will lose the soft whipped texture the longer it sits out.

3. Parmesan panko topping – Make this the day before, let it fully cool then store in a container in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature before using.

4. Assembling – Then this part is really nice and quick. No fiddling, just spread the beans on a plate, smother with sauce and pile on the panko. Done!

Serve as a vegetable side dish. Though as I mentioned earlier, make it once, and you’ll see the snacking potential as everyone grabs the beans and munches on them like french fries! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Green Beans with a Mountain of Panko

Recipe video above. My latest "wow-factor" green bean side dish invention which is quick, easy and a make-ahead dream. Blanched beans smothered in a pillowy tahini yogurt sauce piled high with a mountain of parmesan panko breadcrumbs – hence the name!

The sauce acts like a glue so you get a stack of crunchy parmesan panko in every-single-bite. Supposed to be a vegetable side dish but I snack on these like fries!!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Western

Keyword green beans recipe, vegetable side dish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Cooling time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 188cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Beans:

• 700 g/1.4lb green beans , ends trimmed (Note 1)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Whipped Tahini Yogurt:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 1/2 tbsp tahini (Note 2)
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (sub 1 tbsp clear vinegar)
• 1 garlic clove , finely grated
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt

Parmesan Panko Mountain:

• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 3)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 cup parmesan , finely grated (tightly packed cup)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Shortform recipe:

• Toss blanched beans with oil, salt and pepper. Whisk Tahini ingredients, microwave 20 seconds, whisk again. Toast Panko mix on stove. Assemble – beans, sauce then panko. Attack!

Full directions:

• Cook beans – Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add beans, let it come back to the boil, cook for 2 minutes, then drain in a colander. Rinse under cold running water for 10 seconds to stop cooking (there is NO NEED to use ice!).
• Season – Spread beans on a tea towel then dry with a 2nd tea towel. Transfer into bowl, toss with the oil, salt and pepper.
• Panko Mountain – Mix the ingredients in a bowl. Preheat a large non-stick pan on medium high. Add the panko mixture and stir for 4 – 5 minutes until golden brown. Transfer back into the bowl then let it cool.
• Whipped Tahini Yogurt – Whisk ingredients in a heat-proof bowl just to combine. Microwave for just 20 seconds on high, then whisk again for 10 seconds – it will resemble softly whipped cream. (Note 4) Use immediately or at room temperature.
• Assemble – Spread green beans on plate. Pour over sauce, pile on panko. Attack!

Notes

1. Bean trimming – If you’re making an effort, just trim the stem end. The pointy end doesn’t need to be trimmed and I think it looks pretty to keep it attached. But trimming just one end is a pain. Easy to do both ends!

2. Tahini – A paste made with sesame seeds. Usually found in the health food aisle at grocery stores. Use hulled tahini (more common), not un-hulled which is darker and more bitter. The jar label will specify whether the tahini is hulled or un-hulled.

Use Chinese sesame paste as a sub if you have leftovers from another recipe I’ve shared, like this one or this one!

3. Panko breadcrumbs – A Japanese breadcrumb favoured for the extra-crispy coating it gives crumbed foods. You can buy it at most big supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths) in the Asian foods section and Asian stores. Substitute with regular breadcrumbs if you can’t find it.

4. No microwave? Use a bain-marie set up. Put the bowl on a saucepan filled with 1″/2.5 cm of simmering water. Then whisk – as the mixture warms up slightly, it will transform into the whipped cream texture.

5. Make-ahead: Cook beans, fridge up to 24 hours. Make tahini sauce day before, panko toasted up to 2 days before. Bring everything to room temp, toss beans in oil, salt & pepper. Whisk tahini, 20 seconds in microwave, whisk again. Then assemble!

Leftovers will keep for 2 days but the panko in contact with the yogurt does lose crunchiness. You can always make a big batch then reserve some of each component to assemble tomorrow.

Nutrition per serving assuming 5 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 188cal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 592mg | Potassium: 368mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 886IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 2mg

More green bean recipes

Had no idea I had so many green bean recipes!!

Parmesan Roasted Green Beans

Green Beans in Creamy Parmesan Sauce – with bacon!

Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic

Green Bean Salad

Green Bean Casserole perfection!

Ottolenghi’s Green Bean Salad

Chargrill Charlie’s Green Bean Avocado Salad (copycat!)

Green Bean recipes

Life of Dozer

Dozer being measured for something special….NOT an outfit!!! Stay tuned…

The post Green Beans with a Mountain of Panko appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

How to make roasted pumpkin so much more fabulous with very little effort? A dash of maple syrup for extra caramelisation. Kick of fresh chilli. Plus a sprinkle of feta and shower of walnuts! Serve as a side, a meal, pile on toast or crostini. It’s delicious any which way!

Maple roasted pumpkin with feta and chilli

Something magical happens to pumpkin when you roast it. It intensifies the sweetness and caramelises beautifully.

I’d happily eat it plain. But here, we step it up a notch with a few simple additions that work so well with pumpkin. A dash of maple syrup for extra caramelisation. Plus a hit of fresh chilli, soft nutty crunchy of walnuts and creamy pops of salty feta…..you know this is going to be good!

That’s dinner, right there. Or a mighty delicious side.

Ingredient you need

Here’s what you need to make this.

The roasting stuff

• Pumpkin – Any eating pumpkin. I typically use Kent or Jap which are common varieties here in Australia. Do not use pumpkin intended for Halloween carving, it’s not very pleasant to eat.

  Alternatives – Butternut pumpkin (called butternut squash in the States) or sweet potato!

• Maple syrup – or honey.

• Dried chilli flakes – also called red pepper flakes. I use the regular type you get from ordinary grocery stores but you could absolutely use Asian or other types of chilli flakes. Just be mindful of spiciness!

• Red onion – substitute regular onion, eschalots (US: shallots) or the white part of green onions (I often have bunches in the fridge with the green parts unceremoniously hacked off for garnish purposes so am always looking for uses of the white part).

• Walnuts – Or other nuts of choice. Almonds and pecans come to mind first. Pinenuts, pepitas and other small nuts/seeds would also work but I’d toss them in partway through cooking so they don’t burn into tiny little black (bitter) pellets.

Finishes

• Chilli – This is optional because it’s more for visual than spiciness, because we get enough spiciness from the dried chilli flakes. Large chillis, like the cayenne pepper pictured, aren’t very spicy. Good life rule to remember: the larger the chilli, the less spicy it is!

• Danish feta – This is the feta type that is a bit more creamy than Greek feta. Greek feta also works, though I do like the way Danish feta sort of smears as it semi-melts on contact with the hot pumpkin.

  If you are making to really impress, go premium by using goats cheese!

• Parsley – For pretty green finish.

How to make Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chilli and Feta

This is a recipe that’s more about the finishes. The pumpkin is roasted with onion and walnuts, all tossed with maple syrup. Then once cooked, sprinkle with feta, red chilli and parsley. Then get stuck in!

1. Cut the pumpkin in 2.5cm / 1″ cubes. To do this I cut into 2.5cm / 1″ slices first. Using a rocking motion as you slice down helps make this easy.

2. Cut the skin off.

3. Then cut into cubes.

4. Pile onto a large paper lined tray with the onion slices and walnuts. Toss with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and chilli flakes then spread it out. The more space between the pumpkin, the better. If the pumpkin is too cluttered, it will stew and go mushy instead of caramelising.

5. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing once at the 20 minute mark, until the pumpkin is light golden and cooked through. You won’t get intense golden colour on the surface, not like plain roast pumpkin cubes (such as in this recipe), because the maple syrup will burn on the edges of the cubes before the surface goes completely golden.

   Also, the onion will get quite dark brown. If you notice at the tossing point that it’s getting a little too brown, just push/pile them all together or bury under pumpkin. This will protect them!

6. Finishing – Give the pumpkin a gently toss to coat it in all the tasty tray juices. Then transfer to a serving platter – single layer is nice for even sprinkling coverage and neat presentation. Sprinkle with fresh chilli, feta and parsley, then serve!

Or – jumble and pile

I know I said a single layer presentation looks nice and neat. But actually, for maximum flavour-melding-more-rustic presentation (aka Nagi style), do most of the sprinkling on the tray, reserving some for garnish. Then transfer into a serving bowl. Flavour jumbling will occur during transfer and piling.

Finish with reserved feta etc to pretty it up.

Whichever way you go, single layer neatness or jumbled piled up rustic-ness, it still rates the same on the deliciousness scale. Which is, in case you hadn’t guessed, very, very high.

Tell me if you serve this as a side or inhale it as a meal! – Nagi x

PS In case you didn’t know I have a whole category of pumpkin side dishes as part of the vegetable and salad side dishes corner of this website! Mostly relatively low effort, like this one, with a scattering of show-offs for special occasions.

PPS This is not the first time I’ve combined pumpkin. See also here and here.

Watch how to make it

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Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta

Recipe video above. A seriously delicious, low-effort way to serve roast pumpkin: with a dash of maple syrup for extra caramelisation, a kick of chilli, warm crunch of walnuts and salty pops of creamy feta.

Serves 3 as a main or 6 as a side. I made this with pumpkin but it is just as delicious made with squash or sweet potato!

Course Roasted, Vegetables

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 3 – 6

Calories 165cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

• 2 lb / 1 kg pumpkin , peeled, cut into 2.5cm / 1" cubes (whole, unpeeled weight – Note 1)
• 1 red onion , peeled, halved, then cut into 1cm / 0.4" wedges
• 1/2 cup walnuts , roughly chopped (Note 2)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey (sub brown sugar Note 3),
• 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1 – 1 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes , adjust to taste (Note 4)

Garnishes (Optional)

• 3/4 cup Danish feta (or Greek feta, or upgrade to goats cheese)
• 1 large red chilli (cayenne pepper), deseeded, finely minced
• 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).
• Toss – Place the pumpkin, onion and walnuts on a large, paper lined tray. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, then toss to coat (hands really is best). Sprinkle with chilli and salt, toss again, then spread out on a tray. Don't crowd them else they will stew instead of roast!
• Roast for 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is lightly browned and cooked through, tossing once at the 20 minute mark.
• Finishes – Remove from the oven. Gently toss again, then transfer to a serving platter in a single layer. Crumble over feta, sprinkle with parsley and chilli. Or do the sprinkling on the tray then pile into a bowl. Serve immediately!

Notes

1. Pumpkin – Any type for eating is suitable (not Halloween carving). Or butternut or sweet potato!

2. Nuts- Feel free to use other nuts. Large ones similar size to walnuts will take the same time. If using pine nuts, sunflower seeds or pepitas (or other small nuts), add them halfway through the roasting time.

3. Brown sugar sub – Mix with olive oil then toss to coat.

4. Chilli flakes – 1 1/2 tsp has a decent warm, unmissable hum but not super spicy. 1 tsp is more subtle. Feel free to skip it!

5. Leftovers will keep for 3 days.

Nutrition assuming 6 servings.

Nutrition

Serving: 214g | Calories: 165cal

Recipe update: This is an old recipe from 2015 that was in desperate need of spruced up photos, a recipe video tutorial and most importantly, recipe improvements! The same recipe, just tweaked to fix.

More delicious things to make with pumpkin

Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce and Pine Nuts

Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad

Pumpkin Soup

Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

Honey-Cinnamon Pumpkin Lentil Salad

Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin

Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto

Pumpkin recipes

Life of Dozer

Don’t miss Dozer in today’s recipe video!! Did he get to taste test….??

The post Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Farro – so much more interesting and better for you than pasta or rice! This farro salad is a stellar combination: nutty farro, bursty tomatoes, spinach bits and smeary goats cheese or feta, doused in a garlic Sizzled Dressing with pops of coriander and cumin.

A Farro Salad worth making!

This is a farro salad that was already great before the Sizzly Dressing. The farro is cooked with vinegar instead of plain water (thanks for the tip New York Times Cooking! *See UPDATE*), making it delicious even before the add-ins. The roasted tomatoes are on the edge of bursting. And there’s smeary goats cheese, that tangy, creamy cheese that can make everything seem a little gourmet.

I could’ve just drizzled with a basic lemon dressing, and it would still be scoff-worthy.

But! That sizzling garlic-cumin-coriander dressing! Pops of toasted cumin and coriander with golden bits of garlic tossed through the farro just make for a stellar flavour and textural combination. 100% addictive. Simple but unique. Very Ottolenghi vibes.

I’m completely besotted. (With the salad. OK fine, maybe a bit with Ottolenghi too.)

*UPDATE: A reader pointed out that the NYT recipe uses apple cider (the drink) not apple cider vinegar! Even NYT readers have made that mistake like me – ha ha ha! Well, apple cider vinegar is what I use here and it works brilliantly to be the acid that is normally used in salad dressings. I’m actually glad you don’t have to go out to buy drinking cider to make this. :)*

Here’s a little look at the players in today’s recipe – a pot of vinegar cooked farro (it’s so good!) and bursty tomatoes….

…..and that sizzly dressing and smeary goats cheese…… (or Danish feta)

It’s a magical combination!

What you need for this Farro Salad

Here’s what you need to make this farro salad. First up, the secret ingredient: farro! (I know, I’m hilarious 😂).

Farro

Think of farro as a more nutritious, tastier alternative to white rice and pasta. Or – like quinoa, except it doesn’t get stuck in your teeth. It’s a whole grain that’s got a lovely nutty flavour, and a great meaty chew that makes it so satisfying to eat. Plus, it’s nutrient and fibre rich.

*Update: We’ve made this recipe using pearl barley too! Great alternative.*

Find it in whole food stores, fresh produce stores and delis. The packet pictured above is from Harris Farms (I’m in Sydney, Australia), $7 for 500g / 1 lb (we use 210g / 7oz).

Farro type – I use whole farro, the standard sold in Australia. Farro also comes pearled (outer layer removed) and semi-pearled (some removed), but these are not so common in Australia (to my knowledge). Whole farro has nothing removed, and is the chewiest, most flavourful and nutritious.

Substitute with pearl barley. Similar nutty flavour although it is slightly softer. Directions in recipe notes!

How to cook it – Boil in liquid like pasta! Whole farro takes 40 minutes. Pearled takes ~15 minutes, and semi-pearled ~30 minutes. Because pearling isn’t standardised, the exact times will differ. Just taste to check.

vinegar to cook the farro

As mentioned at the top of the post, the farro in this recipe is cooked in a combination of water and vinegar. A great cooking method I tried and love in this Farro Salad recipe from New York Times Cooking*. Using vinegar infuses with tangy flavour, making the farro tasty in its own right. Have a nibble and you’ll see!

*See UPDATE under photo at top of post about mistaken identify – drinking cider vs vinegar!*

The add-ins

Not that many! The magic in this recipe is all about the cooking method for the farro and the sizzling garlic-cumin-coriander dressing.

• Grape or cherry tomatoes – Roasted for just 8 minutes at a relatively high temperature at the same time as the farro (handy!) so they become a little bit wrinkly but still holding together. Some burstage will happen when you toss them through the salad and this is encouraged as the juice forms part of the dressing.

• Goats cheese or Danish feta – Smeary, tangy, creamy goodness, the perfect finishing touch.

• Eschalot  – Called “shallots” in the US, also known as French onions. They look like baby onions, but are finer and sweeter than regular onions so they kind of meld into the salad better. Substitute with finely sliced red onion.

• Baby spinach – I like a bit of green leafage tossed through here and baby spinach is my choice. Rocket/arugula would also work nicely. Crispy greens like iceberg, cos/romaine probably won’t hold up as well as they tend to wilt more easily. But if that’s all I had, it wouldn’t stop me from making this!

The sizzling garlic-coriander-cumin dressing

Channeling my Ottolenghi within, inspired by this green bean salad of his, coriander and cumin seeds are sizzled with a good amount of garlic in olive oil and poured hot over the eschallots on top of the farro which makes them cook slightly.

There’s no vinegar in this dressing because the farro gets cooked in vinegar which is all the tang we need.

• Coriander and cumin seeds – toasted whole in olive oil, they add the most incredible pops of flavour in this Farro Salad! They keep things interesting.

• Garlic – Finely minced, sautéed until golden.

• Olive oil – Use extra virgin for better flavour.

How to make Farro Salad with Sizzled Dressing

There’s a few components to this salad but they are low effort and low maintenance steps. And I wouldn’t ask you to do them if it wasn’t worth it!

Toasting / roasting

1. Toast farro & roast tomatoes at the same time. Spread the farro on a tray, toss the tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper then put them in the oven. They will both take 8 minutes in a 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). Yes, I know 8 minutes is an oddly precise time. But honestly, at 10 minutes, the farro is very well toasted and the tomatoes are very wrinkly. 8 minutes is perfect!

   PS Toasting the farro gives it extra nutty flavour and gives it a lovely warm brown colour. I do this for quinoa too. Effortless, and so worth it!

2. Bursty tomatoes – Leave the tomatoes on the tray and let them cool while you get on with the recipe.

3. Pour the toasted farro into a medium saucepan.

4. Rapidly simer the toasted farro in water, vinegar and salt for 40 minutes. No need to stir.

5. Cooked farro – The exact cooking time of farro can vary depending on how old the farro is. Older = tougher = longer cooking time and more water. So just taste to check. Uncooked farro is rock hard. Cooked farro should have a good chew to it but not have a hard centre. Overcooked farro will be mushy and unpleasant. Let’s not go there.

   If your farro is still too hard for your taste once the liquid is absorbed, just add more water and keep cooking. It’s very forgiving to cook. You could never do that with rice!

   Drain off any excess liquid. For the farro I use, 3 cups liquid and 1 cup farro = nearly no liquid left.

6. Put the farro in a large bowl then pile the eschalots on top. Leave it to cool for 10 minutes or so, or you can let it fully cool. This salad is great served slightly warm or at room temp.

Sizzling dressing

1. Sizzling dressing – Heat the oil in a small pan then toast the cumin and coriander for around 30 seconds or until it smells amazing. Then add the garlic and sauté that for another 30 seconds or so until light golden and – you guessed it – smells amazing!

1. Immediately pour the sizzling oil over the eschallots on the farro. The hot oil will partially cook the eschallots and make them wilt a bit.

   PS You won’t need to worry about oil spitting and splattering. I really wanted a dramatic sizzle during this step but it’s not dramatic at all.

3. Toss the faro well to mix the dressing through.

4. Add spinach then toss briefly to mix through.

5. Gently transfer the tomatoes in. Handle with care – they are delicate and bursty, hence the name!

6. Then gently mix the tomatoes through. Some tomato burstage is encouraged – it forms part of the “dressing” – but we don’t want them all to turn into complete mush.

   Now, it’s time to plate up!

Assembling

For any salad with goats cheese or feta that goes smeary when tossed through salads, I prefer to assemble the salad by layering it. But that’s just me! You could just mix the goats cheese through if you prefer.

I’ve done three layers here. So – put one-third of the farro salad in a shallow bowl, top with one-third goats cheese. Repeat twice more. Finish with a swish of extra virgin olive oil if desired!

YUM. How good does that look!

If that photo doesn’t get you excited about trying this Farro Salad, do it for the Sizzled Dressing. Because if you haven’t tried a salad made with whole toasted coriander and/or cumin seeds before (like this one or this one), you are missing out! – Nagi x

PS This is an excellent salad for taking places, not only because it’s something different that will impress but also because it’s got excellent shelf life. No worries about wilting fragile leafy greens here! Make ahead and transportability notes are in the recipe card below.

Watch how to make it

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Farro Salad with Sizzled Garlic Dressing

Recipe video above. Farro is so much more interesting than pasta or rice! This salad has stellar flavour and texture: nutty farro, juicy burst cherry tomatoes, spinach bits and smeary goats cheese or feta, doused in an addictive hot garlic olive oil dressing with pops of coriander and cumin.

You'll love how we cook the farro – it's delicious even more you add everything else. Serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a side. Excellent shelf life and brilliant for taking to gatherings – see notes.

Course Salad meal, Side Dish, Side Salad, Sides

Cuisine Western

Keyword farro recipe, farro salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Farro cooling 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 – 8

Calories 367cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Farro:

• 1 cup farro , dried, whole (Note 1)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 2)
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt

Burst tomatoes:

• 400g/ 14oz (4 cups) grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Add-ins:

• 1 eschallot , halved then finely sliced (sub 1/4 red onion) (Note 3)
• 2 tightly packed cups baby spinach , roughly chopped (sub arugula/baby rocket)
• 80g/ 3oz goats cheese or 120g/4 oz Danish feta (Note 4)

Sizzling garlic cumin dressing:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic , finely minced (~4 cloves)
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan).
• Roast tomatoes and toast farro – Toss tomatoes on a tray with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread farro on a separate tray. Put both in the oven, farro on the top shelf, tomatoes underneath. Bake for 8 minutes, shaking the trays halfway. The farro should be browned with a nutty flavour, the tomatoes should be a bit wrinkly but still holding their shape.
• Cool tomatoes on the tray while you prep everything else.
• Cook farro (Note 1) – Put the toasted farro in a saucepan with the vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to medium so it is simmering. Cover with lid then simmer for 40 – 45 minutes or until all/most of the liquid is absorbed and the farro is ready. It should still have a bite to it (not soft like pasta) but not a hard centre. Add more water if needed, and keep cooking – don't be afraid to cook it softer if you want. Drain off excess liquid, if there is any, then transfer to a large bowl. (Taste: a bit tangy, the "vinegar" component used in salad dressings!)
• Pile eschallots on top. Let farro cool to room temp.
• Sizzling garlic cumin dressing – Heat oil in a small pan over medium low heat. Add coriander and cumin, cook for 30 seconds until light golden and you can smell it. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until light golden.
• Assembling – Immediately pour hot oil over eschallots so it semi-cooks it. Toss. Add spinach, toss. Add tomatoes, gently stir through (some tomato collapsing is encouraged). Pour 1/3 into a serving bowl, crumble over 1/3 goats cheese. Repeat twice more, finishing with goats cheese. Eat!

Notes

1. Farro – Sold dried, find it in whole food stores, fresh produce stores and delis. I got mine from Harris Farms (I’m in Sydney, Australia), $7 for 500g / 1 lb (we use 210g / 7oz).

Whole farro is what I use, chewiest and has the best nutty flavour. Standard in Australia. Farro also comes pearled (outer layer completely removed) and semi-pearled (partially removed) which are softer and cook faster. Pearled ~15 min, semi-pearled 30 min. Taste to check, drain excess water.

Cooking tips – Simmer energetically else it will take ages to cook. Exact cook time and liquid absorption will depend on the age. Older = takes longer. Start checking at 35 minutes. Cooked farro is still quite firm, much firmer than pasta, but you don’t want a hard centre. Just cook to your taste – add water and keep cooking until you like it – and when done drain excess liquid.

Substitute with pearl barley, similar nutty flavour but is slightly softer. Takes 35 minutes, will have a little excess water to drain off. Best to spread out on tray to cool (gets a little softer than ideal if cooled in a bowl).

2. Vinegar – Can use other types but make sure it’s not as harsh as regular white vinegar. White wine, red wine, champagne and sherry vinegar will all work great. Balsamic will stain the farro.

3. Eschalot (US: shallots) – The small onions, finer and sweeter than regular onions so they meld into the salad better. Substitute with 1/4 red onion very finely sliced.

4. Goats Cheese – The creamiest of this type so it sort of smears through the salad and becomes part of the dressing. Danish feta is a close second. Greek feta can also be used, just crumble it all through.

5. Storage / making ahead – Assembled salad great for 3 days in the fridge. Excellent one for taking places because farro doesn’t wilt and fade like leafy greens. Make the hot dressing, cool, then put in a jar and keep in the fridge. If you promise to toss carefully, you can put the farro in a container with the eschallots, tomato and spinach on top. Then, douse with cooled dressing, toss gently (you promised to be extra careful!). Finish with goats cheese.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 367cal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 822mg | Potassium: 488mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1108IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3mg

Life of Dozer

Tea towel licking (ie smears of tasty food). Cute. But annoying. (She says, as she throws the tea towel into the dirty laundry and gets yet another clean one, and tries to scold him but everybody knows she thinks it’s adorable.)

The post Farro Salad with Sizzled Dressing appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

The best potato salad is made by dousing hot potatoes with French Dressing so they take in the flavour before tossing in a creamy dressing. Complete with essential add-ins: bacon, cucumber and celery. Every bite is perfection!

Prefer no mayo? Try German Potato Salad, Red Potato Salad with Charred Corn, Lemon Potato Salad and Wickedly Delish Sweet Potato Salad.

A Potato Salad you’ll make again and again…

This is a potato salad recipe given to me by the mother of a friend. To respect her privacy, let’s call her Mrs B.

The very first time I heard how Mrs B makes her potato salad, I instantly knew that this was one that would stand out from the crowd of thousands – millions – of potato salad recipes “out there” in the world wide web.

The thing that makes it so special is pouring French Salad Dressing over the hot boiled potatoes. By dressing while hot, they absorb the French Salad Dressing flavour rather than just coating them. Which means, flavour inside the potatoes not just on the outside.

Combined with the creamy sour cream-mayonnaise dressing, salty bacon, and fresh bursts of celery, cucumber and onion, every mouthful is the perfect bite!

Plenty of dressing….but not overly greasy

The other thing I really like about this potato salad is the dressing. While I love a creamy dressing, I find using only mayonnaise too greasy. But I also don’t want to skimp on dressing. There’s nothing worse than a dry potato salad!

The solution: break up the richness of mayonnaise by combining with sour cream. I use a 50/50 ratio.

The addition of tang and hint of zing from a dab of Horseradish Cream also helps to cut through the richness. It’s optional but adds an extra little something-something to it.

And don’t forget, all this mingles together with the French Dressing the potatoes are soaked in!

After a creamy no-mayo version? Try this Creamy Yogurt Potato Salad Dressing – it’s terrific!

Ingredients for the Best Potato Salad

Here’s what you need to make the best potato salad on the block!

The potatoes and add-ins

• Potatoes – Potatoes vary widely in texture when cooked. For potato salad, I like to use starchy (floury) and all-rounder potatoes which become soft and fluffy when cooked and are a sponge to absorb the French dressing. The edges of the potato cubes mash up a bit when tossed with the dressing (nobody wants sharp-edged cubes in their potato salad!) and the surface becomes a little ragged so the creamy dressing clings to every surface

  Starchy/all-rounder potato types:
  – Australia: Sebago (dirt-brushed common potatoes), Coliban (white skin potatoes common at supermarkets)
  – US: Russet, Idaho and Yukon gold
  – UK: Maris Piper, King Edward, and Russet

  Waxy potatoes, on the other hand, do not absorb flavour nearly as well and have a firmer texture when cooked. While the potato cubes will hold their shape more perfectly when cooked with sharp cut edges, the surface is slippery so the dressing doesn’t adhere to it as well.

• Celery and cucumber – Welcome freshness! The celery is sliced finely so you get soft crunch but it becomes floppy rather than stiff sprigs sticking out. And the cucumber is finely diced rather than the typical slicing so you get great soft juicy little crunchy pops. Love!

• Raw onion (finely minced) – This cuts through the creaminess of the dressing and adds great subtle fresh flavour into the whole salad. The fact that it’s finely minced rather than just chopped or sliced helps – better dispersion throughout the whole salad plus you get the juiciness too. It kind of takes the place of garlic which I put in “everything” but is a little harsh in this particular potato salad.

• Bacon – Essential for a classic potato salad!

Dressing 1: The French Dressing

This is the dressing the hot potatoes soak up! The original recipe shared with me by Mrs B used store bought French Dressing which is an option. However, I just make my own – here’s all you need:

• White wine vinegar – The classic vinegar used for French dressing but can be substituted with apple cider vinegar, sherry or champagne vinegar (last resort: plain white vinegar).

• Olive oil is the oil of choice. The better the quality, the better the flavour!

• Dijon mustard – For flavour and thickening.

• Water – Missing from the photo! I use just 1 tablespoon of water to stretch out the dressing, rather than more oil (simply for health reasons).

• Garlic – flavour!

• Sugar – Just a touch, which takes the edge off the tang a bit too.

Dressing 2: The creamy dressing!

As noted right up front, I like my potato salad nice and creamy but I find just using mayonnaise is overly heavy. So I use a 50/50 sour cream/mayo combination.

(Reminder – mayo free version here!)

• Mayonnaise – Whole egg mayo is best as it is creamier and less tangy than ordinary mayonnaise. Readily available these days in grocery stores (it will say “whole egg mayo” on the label).

• Sour cream – Full fat please! Yogurt can be used as a substitute but sour cream does have a creamier mouthfeel.

• Horseradish cream – This is pickled fresh horseradish which has a zingy spiciness like wasabi. Because it’s pickled, it is vinegary. So this adds both a hint of spicy warmth and tang to the dressing.

  If you’re lucky enough to have fresh horseradish, use half the amount and add a couple of teaspoons of vinegar.

How to make potato salad

IMPORTANT! Creamy potato salads really are better made with starchy potatoes for texture and flavour, but you really need to take care not to overcook else they will crumble too much when tossing. Waxy potatoes would be easier to use because they hold their shape….but the eating part is not as good! I’ve done a lot of potato salad eating in my time to arrive at this conclusion.

1. Start in cold water – Cook cut potatoes starting in cold water. Never start potatoes in boiling water else they will cook too much on the outside before the inside cooks and crumble when tossed!

   Check frequently – Once the water comes up to the boil, start checking at 4 minutes and every 30 seconds thereafter. As soon as you can pierce a potato with almost no resistance, drain immediately. They will continue cooking with the residual heat.

2. French Dressing – Shake French Dressing ingredients in a jar until combined.

3. Creamy Dressing – Mix the ingredients in a bowl until smooth.

4. Soak hot potatoes – Gently transfer the potatoes in a bowl and pour over the French Dressing. Toss very gently using a rubber spatula. Minimum tosses just to coat, then set aside for at least 2 hours for the potatoes to cool and absorb the dressing. We are essentially marinating the potatoes here. You know this is going to be good!

   The cooled potatoes are also less fragile less susceptible to breaking when we mix with the remaining ingredients.

5. Add-ins – Add the cucumber, celery, onion, most of the bacon and all the creamy dressing. Toss gently until mixed through. If time permits, set aside for a few hours or better yet overnight, to let the flavours meld together. But honestly, even if you serve it straight away, it will still be the best potato salad of your life!

Proof of excellence

This potato salad will last 4 to 5 days in the fridge, and it just gets better with time. Make it once, and it will be a staple at all gatherings for years to come. I have never strayed from this recipe since the moment I tried it!

And as final proof of how great this potato salad is, even my mother who is a die-hard Japanese Potato Salad devotee couldn’t stop eating this. That’s just about the highest praise you can get.

Thank you Mrs B! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

The best Potato Salad

Recipe video above. Use this recipe if you want a really great classic potato salad. The secret step: dressing hot potatoes with French Dressing so they absorb the flavour before tossing with a creamy mayo/sour cream dressing. Every bite is perfection!

Great fresh, better in 3 hours, even better tomorrow. Thank you for the recipe, Mrs B, it really is the BEST!

Course Salad

Cuisine Western

Keyword Potato Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Cooling 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 – 8

Calories 329cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

Potato Salad

• 1 kg / 2 lb potatoes peeled and cut into 2cm/ 3/4" cubes (Aus – Sebago, Colban; US – Russet, Idaho Yukon; UK – Maris Piper, King Edward) (Note 1)
• 2 tsp cooking / kosher salt , for cooking potatoes
• 250g / 8oz streaky bacon
• 1/2 cup French Dressing – homemade (below) or store bought (Note 2)
• 3/4 cup cucumber, finely diced (1 x 15cm/6" cucumber, cut lengthwise and remove watery seeds first)
• 1 cups celery, finely sliced diagonally (~ 2 ribs)
• 1/4 cup white onion, finely minced , ~ 1/2 onion (Note 3)

Potato Salad Dressing

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise , preferably whole-egg
• 1/3 cup sour cream , full fat (sub yogurt)
• 1 tbsp horseradish cream (or horseradish relish) (Note 4)
• 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

French Dressing (essential! Note 2)

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp water (for volume, rather than more oil)
• 1/2 tsp white sugar
• 1/2 garlic clove , finely grated or minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• French Dressing – Shake ingredients in a jar until well combined.
• Cook potatoes (CAREFUL! Note 5) – Put potatoes and 2 teaspoon salt in a large pot of cold water. Turn the stove on. Once the water is simmering, cook for 4 minutes or until the potatoes are JUST cooked (still bit firm in the middle) – they will keep cooking with residual heat. Drain immediately (gently!).
• Douse hot potatoes! Carefully transfer potatoes into a large bowl and pour over French Dressing. Gently toss to coat then set aside for 2 hours so potatoes absorb the dressing and cool (less fragile).
• Crispy bacon – Lay half the bacon in a cold non-stick pan. Turn onto medium high and cook until golden (the fat will melt as the pan warms up so it cooks in its own fat). Turn and cook the other side until golden. Drain paper towels, repeat with remaining bacon. Once cool and crisp, chop into small pieces.
• Creamy Dressing – Mix ingredients in a bowl until combined.
• Toss – Add creamy dressing, celery, cucumber, onion, and most of the bacon. Toss gently to combine.
• Serving – Serve garnished with remaining bacon. If time permits, I recommend setting aside for a few hours, or even better, overnight, to give the flavours a chance to meld. But still amazing served straight away! Always serve at room temperature, not fridge cold.

Notes

With many thanks to Mrs B, my friends’ mother who first introduced me to the game-changing French-dressing-doused-potatoes method!

1. Potato – use starchy/floury or all rounders rather than waxy ones as they will absorb and take in flavour better. They also slightly “mash” on the edges which is exactly how potato salad should be, in my opinion. Nobody wants to bite into flavourless bland potato chunks with sharp edges and slippery surface!

Read in post for notes on potato variety and why starchy is best.

2. French Dressing – Used to add flavour inside the potato pieces and this is what makes this potato salad so much better than the standard versions! The vinegar in the dressing also cuts through the richness of an otherwise very creamy dish.

3. White onion – Not as harsh as brown onion. Sub with 1 large eschallot (US: shallot) ie French onion, or  1/2 cup red onion or 1/3 cup brown onion finely minced.

4. Horseradish cream – Pickled fresh horseradish that adds a bit of wasabi-like spiciness and vinegar, balances richness of dressing (doesn’t make it spicy). If you are lucky enough to have fresh horseradish, use half the amount and add 2 teaspoons vinegar. Can skip and just add 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar.

5. BOILING POTATOES – Take care as we are using starchy/floury potatoes which will crumble too much if overcooked. We want the edges slightly “mashed” once mixed with dressing (potato pieces should not have sharp corners!) but if they are overcooked they will break too much.

Start checking at 4 minutes and check every 30 seconds. Drain even if they still a touch too firm because they will keep cooking.

6. Leftovers will keep for 4 to 5 days. Always serve at room temp – creamier and you can taste the flavours better!

Nutrition per serving assuming 8 servings. This factors in 2 tablespoons of bacon fat discarded.

Nutrition

Serving: 310g | Calories: 329cal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 529mg | Potassium: 669mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 171IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

Originally published August 2014. This is such a staple recipe in my life, I had to re-publish it with a video, sparkling new photos and of course add a Life of Dozer section!!

The potato salad family

German Potato Salad

Wickedly Delish Sweet Potato Salad

Lemon Potato Salad

Red Potato Salad with Bacon and Corn (no mayo!)

Devour – Maple Sweet Potato Salad With Tamarind Dressing

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing

Summer salads I love

Pearl Couscous Salad

Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing

Macaroni Salad

Wild Rice Salad

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad

The most amazing avocado pasta salad

Coleslaw

Pesto pasta salad

Antipasto Chickpea Salad

Pasta and Rice Salads

Life of Dozer

I was at the Good Food & Wine Show in Sydney on the weekend! JB and I were doing a cooking show on stage and book signings/meet ‘n greets.

The Fun Police (council) wouldn’t let Dozer into a food show. So I took the next best thing – a life size cardboard cut out. We’re getting a lot of mileage out of 2D Dozer! 😂

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The post The Best Potato Salad appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.