Remember a couple of months ago, I shared some of the German foods I miss in Denmark (post here), and that I brought back from Germany after Christmas. One item on the list was wax beans, which I need to make a childhood classic: my mom’s wax bean salad. I was asked for the recipe, which of course I’m more than happy to share!
Yellow wax beans are a finer, milder cousin of classic green beans. They’re only in season for a short time in summer, but in Germany, you’ll find them canned or in glasses, almost like pickles, but way less sour. Wax beans should not be consumed raw, but can be cooked, steamed, or roasted. They make excellent salads, such as this one.
Apparently, wax bean salads were immensely popular in Germany in the 70ies, and people have quite different opinions about them - either you love them, or you hate them. To my endless surprise, even my boyfriend, who loathes salads and hates crème fraiche, really liked this one (which was kind of disappointing to me, since I had secretly hoped to be able to eat his portion, too!). So next time you get your hands on yellow wax beans, give this one a try! You can also substitute fresh green beans.
Mom’s wax bean salad
(4 side servings)
1 glass wax beans (or around 400g fresh wax beans)
1 large shallot
150g (6 tbsp) low fat crème fraiche
2 tbsp white balsamic or white wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh dill
If you’re using fresh wax beans, rinse them, cut off the stems, and cut them into bite-size pieces, ca. 3-4 cm. Boil them for at least 10min in salted water. Drain and set aside to cool.
If you’re using pickled wax beans in a can or glass, pour them into a strainer to drain, but catch some of the liquid in a bowl. Put some salt on the beans while they are draining.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir together crème fraiche, vinegar, olive oil, and sugar, and add salt and pepper to taste. Depending on how thick a crème fraiche you’re using, you might want to add 1-2 tbsp of the drained bean water.
Finely chop a large shallot and add to the bowl. I like to add some sprigs of fresh dill, chopped, as well. Add the drained beans and toss to combine. You can serve the salad immediately, or pop it in the fridge for an hour or two.
Have you ever had wax beans? What’s your take? Share in the comments below!
Nutritional information: one serving contails 75kcal, 4g fat, 6g carbohydrates, 6g sugar, 3g protein.
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