Lemony Green Bean and Goat Cheese Salad

When you need a side for a special occasion meal or a main dish vegetarian entrée, toss together this simple but sumptuous green on green salad. Myriad flavors like perky Dijon mustard, shallots, crisp fennel, tender roasted peppers, bright lemon zest, spicy baby kale, juicy cherry tomatoes, and briny capers all come together to enhance the crispy green beans in an eye-opening vinaigrette. Choose your best extra virgin olive oil and vinegars for your very own top shelf version of summer on a plate. I like the thin French haricots verts for the beans in this salad, but regular American green beans are fine, too.

6 side-dish servings

Ingredients

8 cups mixed spinach and baby kale leaves
Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and crushed red pepper
Two Vinegar Mustard Vinaigrette-see notes
1 pound (16-ounces) green beans, cooked to tender-crisp and well-drained
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and sliced thinly
½ cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon capers-or more to taste
2 -ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
12 ripe cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade
2 teaspoons lemon zest-or more to taste

Instructions

On a very large platter, scatter the spinach and kale leaves mostly around the edges but also lightly at the center. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a few flakes of crushed red pepper. In a large bowl, toss the cooked and drained green beans with 2-3 tablespoons vinaigrette. The beans should be well-covered with the dressing, but not goopy or drippy. Taste and add more vinaigrette as needed and adjust seasonings. Spoon the dressed green beans evenly into the center of the spinach and kale. Place fennel and roasted red pepper slices around the edges, alternating for a striking balance of color. Sprinkle the capers and goat cheese over all and place cherry tomatoes at center. Garnish with fresh basil and lemon zest. Sprinkle with just a little more salt and a few grinds of pepper. Serve at room temperature. Leftovers will keep a day in the fridge well-covered.
Make ahead: You can make the green beans in the vinaigrette a few hours or a day ahead and refrigerate, taking out an hour or so before making the salad.

Notes

TWO VINEGAR MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

• 1 ½ tablespoons EACH: red wine vinegar and sherry vinegar

• 1/8 teaspoon each kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

• 1 large shallot, peeled, and minced

• 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Hot sauce to taste (begin with 1 drop)

Whisk salt and pepper into vinegars in a small bowl and let rest a few minutes. Add shallot and whisk in Dijon mustard. Pouring slowly, whisk in oil until vinaigrette is emulsified. Don’t over mix or you’ll have a bitter vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add hot sauce and adjust seasonings again.

You'll have vinaigrette leftover to store in your fridge and use for salads for a week or so.