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Ingredients

About 5 cups of string beans

1/2 Cup whole almonds

2 French shallots, very finely sliced

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar

1/2 Tablespoon of mayonnaise*

1/2 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard

1/2 Teaspoon of sea salt

Fresh black pepper to taste

*If you are dealing with any health issues, I highly recommend using canola-free vegan mayonnaise to avoid canola oil and eggs.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Prepare the dressing first. It’s important to let the shallots marinate for at least 15 minutes; otherwise, the onions will be too strong.

Season shallots with sea salt, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Let it sit for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, roast the almonds in the oven on a baking sheet for about 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Oven temperatures may vary, so keep an eye on the almonds to not burn. Remove almonds from the oven and chop when cooled.

After the shallots are marinated for at least 10 minutes, add the mayonnaise, Dijon and black pepper to the dressing and let it sit for 5 minutes more.

Add water to a large pot. Heat pot over high heat until a rolling boil is reached.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine 1-litre of water and ice. Set the ice bath aside.

Add beans to the boiling water and cook for about 4-7 minutes. Depending on how soft you like them, the beans vary each time I make a batch.

Immediately transfer beans to the ice bath for 5 minutes. Drain beans well, making sure there is no more water.

Toss the string beans, dressing, and half the chopped toasted almonds

Taste it to adjust the flavours as needed. For example, if you desire a creamier dressing add more Dijon, mayo or olive oil. Your palate is your best guide.

Sprinkle the other half of the toasted almonds on top before serving.

Your turn! Do you have any crowd-pleasing healthy side dishes? Share the recipe in the comments below:)