Skip to main content

Cucumber, String Bean, and Olive Salad

To pit the olives, place them on a cutting board, and press firmly with your thumb. The olives will split, and the pits can be easily removed.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

Coarse salt
1/2 pound string beans
2 cucumbers (1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 pound oil-cured black olives, pitted, torn in half
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water; add the string beans, and cook until bright green and just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, and transfer to the ice-water bath until cool. Drain, and cut in half lengthwise.

    Step 2

    Peel the cucumbers, and split them lengthwise. Remove the seeds using a melon baller or a spoon. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices on the diagonal. Combine with string beans, olives, and parsley leaves in a medium serving bowl.

    Step 3

    Whisk together the mustard, red-wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly. Toss with the salad just before serving.

The cookbook cover with a blue background and fine typeface.
Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group. Buy the full book from Amazon.
Read More
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.
Put that half-full tub to use with recipes that go beyond the Italian American classics.
Like Sri Lankan cashew curry and vegan stuffed shells.
Glossy, intensely chocolaty, and spiked with coffee and sour cream, this Bundt is the ultimate all-purpose dessert.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
Use this simple vinaigrette to dress a plate of greens, some steamed potatoes, or anything else that strikes your fancy.