Cold Marinated Green Beans with Thyme

I love when I find a new dish that looks simple but tastes outstanding. This is one of those dishes! With an overnight marinade in the fridge imbuing the green beans with deep flavor, and a kicky dressing featuring shallots, thyme, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar it is the perfect side to a rich main dish.

Cold Marinated Green Beans with Thyme

Adapted from The New German Cookbook by Jean Anderson and Hedy Wurz

Makes 4-6 servings

1 pound green beans, trimmed
3 medium-sized shallots, peeled and minced
1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper 
10 small sprigs thyme
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp superfine sugar

1. Steam green beans until tender-crisp, and chill by rinsing under cold water immediately after they are finished cooking. Set aside.
2. Place the beans, shallots, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme sprigs, and oil in a large non-metallic  bowl and toss well to mix. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours, or overnight.
3. Remove from the refrigerator and let stand, still covered, at room temperature for about 1 hour.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and sugar until creamy. Drizzling evenly over the bean mixture and toss well. Remove the thyme sprigs (or not, as you like) and serve the salad.