Bistrot salad with green beans

Le bistrot is a simple restaurant offering classic and moderately-priced dishes which are well-made and often from local ingredients. Any salad with green beans and vinaigrette from olive oil and moutarde à l’ancienne, old-style mustard, could be called bistrot.

This salad is great to make in autumn and winter when we crave more cooked dishes. In France, the green beans are in season all year round.

2 servings

2 full handfuls of fresh green beans

6 slices of Parma ham

About 12 cherry tomatoes

About 12 radishes

2 eggs

8 black olives

Rocket leaves to decorate

For the vinaigrette:

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. moutarde à l’ancienne

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, dill, chives and so on

Cook the eggs 6 minutes in boiling water. Peel and set aside.

Top and tail the green beans. Cook 5 minutes in boiling water, then drain and cool in cold water to preserve the colour. Set aside to dry.

Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes and radishes. Cut the cherry tomatoes in halves and slice the radishes. Set aside.

Make the vinaigrette by whisking together all the ingredients. Divide into smaller bowls and serve separately on the salad plates.

Divide the green beans, cherry tomatoes, radish slices, and black olives on the plates. Top with the eggs and cut them in halves. Place the Parma ham  among the salad. Sprinkle with some rocket leaves and place the vinaigrette bowl on the plates. Serve with some country bread or rye bread for a balanced meal.