Asian Green Bean Salad

For the first time ever, I have a proper guest room.  There is no desk in the corner.  There aren’t even spare clothes in the closet.  There’s just a bed with clean sheets, a rocking chair and a bookshelf with an extensive collection of reading material.  It’s amazing how few times I have actually stepped foot in this room.

So during a cold and stormy night, I decided to catch-up on my food magazine reading in the guest room.  It seemed like hours as I flipped through page after page of glossy food pictures.  Suddenly, like a beacon of hope, I discovered this recipe in a recent issue of Cooking Light.  The vegetables are bold and colorful.  The flavors are bright and refreshing.  A wonderful salad for when you simply need a little color in your life.

Asian Green Bean Salad
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Salad:
3 oz. linguine, uncooked
1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
1 ½ cup celery, sliced on a diagonal
1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ cup green onion, small sliced with white and green parts
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce, low-sodium
2 Tbl. sesame oil
2 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. pepper
2 Tbl. garlic, minced
1 tsp. orange zest
1 Tbl. orange juice, fresh squeezed
1 ½ tsp. Asian chili sauce

Cook the pasta in boiling water according to the package directions.  Add the green beans to the water during the last 1 – 2 minutes of cooking.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Shake any excess water and toss into a large mixing bowl.  Add the celery, red bell pepper, green onion and cilantro to the mixing bowl.

In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients listed under the “dressing” section until well combined.  Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables.  Toss until evenly coated.  Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Authors Note:  I found this salad gets better the longer it chills.  So if you have a chance to chill it overnight, it will be well worth the wait.

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