Name: Crisp-Tender Green Beans with Lemon-Herb Dipping Sauce
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 12 ounces ¾- to 1½-inch green bean pieces; Kosher salt for salting green beans; 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons capers, minced; 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice; 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon

Why This Recipe Works

With salt, pressure, and about 15 minutes, you can make a crisp-tender, well-seasoned green bean side dish that keeps for days—no cooking required. The method is based on a classic Japanese preparation called yamitsuke cabbage: All you do is massage salt into the beans, which seasons and also physically tenderizes them so their cells break and shed water, leaving them snappy, concentrated, and fresh-tasting. Once salted, the beans get rinsed to remove excess salt and drained, and can be refrigerated until needed and then either eaten as-is or lightly, simply dressed with all sorts of seasonings. Try serving them with this lemon and herb dipping sauce, made by stirring capers, lemon, and tarragon into mayonnaise.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe with Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton kosher salt, which is denser, use 1½ teaspoons.

Instructions

Toss 12 ounces ¾- to 1½-inch green bean pieces with 2 teaspoons kosher salt in large bowl, squeezing as you toss until salt dissolves in exuded liquid. Let stand 20 minutes.

Add enough cold water to cover beans and swish with your hand to rinse away excess salt. Drain well.

Whisk 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons capers, minced; 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice; and 1 tablespoon minced tarragon together in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with green beans. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)