Skip to main content

Smashed Green Beans With Lemony Sumac Dressing

Smashed Green Beans With Lemony Sumac Dressing recipe
Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio

Blanch, smash, and marinate the green beans in advance so they have time to soak in the bright lemon and sumac dressing. “If you can’t do it ahead, it’s not worth doing,” says Sohla El-Waylly. This recipe is part of Sohla’s Thanksgiving-for-two-or-maybe-eight feast, see the full menu here.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 - 6 Servings

Ingredients

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 lb. green beans
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. sumac or 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 medium Asian pear
1 cup (lightly packed) parsley leaves with tender stems

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook oil and pumpkin seeds (or use reserved cleaned seeds from Winter Squash Bharta) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until oil around seeds is sizzling and seeds are golden, about 4 minutes. Strain pumpkin seeds through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl; set oil aside. Transfer pumpkin seeds to a plate; immediately season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

    Step 2

    Working in batches if needed, cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to an ice water bath as you go.

    Step 3

    Whisk lemon juice and sumac in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Gradually stream in reserved oil, whisking constantly until incorporated. Working with 5–7 green beans at a time, line up beans and trim stem ends. Smash with a rolling pin to split open. Cut beans into 1" pieces and transfer to bowl with dressing. Toss to coat and let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour or cover and chill up to 12 hours.

    Step 4

    When ready to serve, cut pear into ½"-thick wedges, then halve crosswise. Add to green beans along with parsley and half of reserved pumpkin seeds; toss well. Top with remaining pumpkin seeds.

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Braising canned chickpeas in chicken stock and olive oil makes them unbelievably tender and buttery. This is worth the effort of peeling 40 cloves of garlic.
Stable enough to last days in the fridge (and hearty enough to sate a breastfeeding mom).
Forget regular baked potatoes—these tender sweets loaded with chaat-inspired toppings make for a bright and flavorful vegetarian main (or colorful side dish).
This riff on the Laotian classic comes together in 20 minutes.
These meatballs made of beef, rice, and split peas are stuffed with dried fruit and braised in a flavorful tomato sauce—a hearty, satisfying labor of love.
Rich, tangy, bright, and crunchy from olive oil roasted hazelnuts, this stovetop green bean salad is an arresting holiday side.
This rich lentil soup is loaded with flavor and texture: coconut milk for creaminess and curry paste for punch, plus tons of spinach and a bit of tiny pasta.
This plant-based twist on the classic Chinese chicken dish swaps in crisped crumbled tempeh and fresh fresno chiles.