Corn and Green Bean Salad With Tomatillo Dressing

By Martha Rose Shulman

Updated January 28, 2016

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(109)
Comments
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In a great end-of-summer salad, this tomatillo dressing has a delicate and wonderfully herbal flavor. The salad is all about texture and color.

Featured in: Cooking With a Mexican Favorite, the Tomatillo

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves six generously

FOR THE DRESSING

  • ¼ pound fresh tomatillos, husked

  • 1 small serrano or ½ jalapeño chili

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

  • 10 cilantro sprigs

  • 1 tablespoon chopped onion, soaked in cold water for five minutes, drained and rinsed

  • 1 garlic clove, peeled

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • Salt to taste

FOR THE SALAD

  • Kernels from 2 ears corn

  • ¾ pound green beans, trimmed and cut in 2-inch lengths about 3 cups

  • 1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, cut in ¼-inch dice

  • 4 radishes, cut in half lengthwise then sliced thin in half-moons

  • 2 tablespoons minced chives

  • Lettuce leaves for the platter or bowl

  • ¼ cup crumbled queso fresco (1 ounce)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

7 grams carbs; 3 milligrams cholesterol; 106 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 8 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 298 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. FOR THE DRESSING

    1. Step 1

      Preheat the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place the tomatillos on top, stem side down. Place under the broiler at the highest rack setting and broil two to five minutes, until charred on one side. Turn over and broil on the other side for two to five minutes, until charred on the other side. Remove from the heat and transfer to a blender, tipping in any juice that may have accumulated on the baking sheet. Add the chili, lime juice, cilantro sprigs, onion, garlic and olive oil to the blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt, and set aside.

    2. Step 2

      Steam the corn kernels (or steam the entire ear, then cut the kernels off) and beans above one inch of boiling water for five minutes, until tender. Remove from the heat, refresh with cold water and drain on paper towels. Place in a bowl and toss with the tomato, radishes, chives and the dressing. Line a platter or wide bowl with the lettuce leaves, top with the salad, sprinkle on the crumbled cheese and serve.

Tip

  • Advance preparation: You can prepare the dressing and the salad several hours before serving, but don’t toss together until ready to serve. Refrigerate in separate bowls.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
109 user ratings
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Comments

Martha Rose Shulman

Sorry about this omission; will correct. I would use a small serrano chile or 1/2 of a big jalapeño.

Bonnie

My dressing tasted a little on the bitter side. Did I roast the tomatillos too much?

Mike

It's not the end of summer and the green beans at the store were not worth the buying, so I subbed canned (drained & rinsed ) black beans. It was pretty darn good.

Lark

I loved the fresh flavor of this salad. I substituted jarred green salsa for the dressing ( tomatillos not in season), added a diced jalapeño, and used diced green onions instead of chives. Yum!!

Elyssa

Got corn, green beans and tomatoes in my farm share so this was the perfect recipe. Made exactly as written and was delicious! The sauce/salsa would be great on other things as well.

Greg Pyke

I too added farro to make this salad a full meal. We don’t like spicy so I started from scratch on the dressing, using lime, balsamic, mustard, olive oil and the liquid scraped from the cobs after the corn kernels were removed. The combination of textures and flavors and the summer veggie goodness make this a winner.

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