Gordon Ramsay’s green bean salad recipe pairs blanched crunchy beans with toasted flaked almonds and a roasted garlic mustard vinaigrette made with white wine vinegar and honey. It serves 6 to 8 and takes about 35 minutes.
This recipe is called Green Bean Salad with Mustard Dressing, from Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course. He writes: “Roasting the garlic brings out its natural sweetness so it has none of the astringency you find in the raw bulb.” In his video on youtube demonstration, he describes the finished dish as a “heavily mustard vinaigrette with a hit of mellow roast garlic” and calls the almonds “a lovely nutty note and crunchy texture.”
The technique that sets this apart: he roasts whole garlic bulbs in foil until they turn creamy and mellow, then squeezes the soft flesh out and mashes it into the dressing. Raw garlic would overpower the beans, but roasted garlic dissolves into the vinaigrette and adds sweetness instead of bite.
Gordon Ramsay Green Bean Salad Recipe
Course: SaladsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6-8
10
minutes25
285
kcal35
Blanched green beans tossed with toasted almonds and a roasted garlic, Dijon mustard and honey vinaigrette, from Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course. The beans stay crunchy because they’re blanched for just 90 seconds and refreshed in cold water straight away.
Ingredients
2.2 lbs (1kg) green beans, topped and tailed
7 oz (200g) flaked almonds
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the dressing:
2 small heads of garlic
2-3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp runny honey
2/3 cup (150ml) olive oil
Directions
- Roast the garlic: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/Gas 4). Wrap the garlic heads in foil and roast for 20 to 25 minutes until completely soft. Remove and leave to cool. As Ramsay shows in his video, the garlic goes “creamy, mellow and divine in the oven,” losing all its raw sharpness.
- Blanch the beans: Plunge the green beans into plenty of boiling salted water for 1 and a half minutes until their rawness has been removed but they are still crunchy. Refresh immediately under cold running water to stop the cooking, then drain. This keeps them crisp and bright green.
- Toast the almonds: Lightly toast the flaked almonds in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Leave to cool.
- Toss the salad base: Mix together the cooled beans and almonds with a little seasoning.
- Build the dressing: Cut the tops off the roasted garlic heads and squeeze out all the flesh. Mash with 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar until a smooth paste forms. Add the mustard and honey and mix well. Pour in the olive oil in a slow drizzle, stirring constantly to thicken. Taste and season, adding more vinegar if needed.
- Dress and serve: Pour the dressing over the beans, toss well to coat and serve.
FAQs
Why roast the garlic instead of using it raw?
Raw garlic is sharp and aggressive, which would overpower a simple salad like this. Roasting it wrapped in foil for 20 to 25 minutes transforms the flavour completely. The cloves turn soft enough to squeeze out like paste, and the taste shifts from pungent to sweet and mellow. That sweetness works with the honey and mustard instead of fighting them.
Why blanch the beans for only 90 seconds?
Ramsay wants crunch, not softness. A minute and a half in boiling water removes the raw squeak but keeps the snap when you bite through. Refreshing under cold water straight after is what locks in that texture and the bright green colour. Skip the cold water and the beans keep cooking in their own heat.
Why flaked almonds instead of whole ones?
Flaked almonds toast faster and more evenly than whole nuts because they’re thinner. They also distribute better through the salad, so you get a nutty crunch in every forkful rather than biting into one big almond and missing the next three. Ramsay toasts 200g for this recipe, which is generous, because they’re doing the job of a crouton.
How do you emulsify the dressing without it splitting?
Ramsay includes a tip in the book: “Put the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. This emulsifies the mixture more easily than whisking.” The roasted garlic paste also helps because it acts as a natural thickener that holds the oil and vinegar together.
What should you serve this with?
Ramsay describes this as a side for summer meals. It pairs well with grilled fish, roast chicken or barbecued lamb chops. The mustard vinaigrette is rich enough that the salad can sit on a buffet table for a couple of hours without wilting, which makes it a strong choice for feeding a crowd.
I’m Ava Taylor. I’m A Self-taught Home Cook Who Loves Gordon Ramsay Recipes. I Try Every Dish In My Small Apartment Kitchen And Tweak It Until It Works. I Write Clear Steps With Simple Words So Anyone Can Follow. I Share Honest Wins, Mistakes, And Quick Tips To Help You Cook With Confidence.