Fresh Green Bean and Tomato Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing

Ingredients: 2 pounds Fresh green beans,3 cloves garlic, cut into pieces,1/2 pint yellow grape tomatoes, washed and cut in half,1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper,2 tablespoons olive oil,2 tablespoons toasted and chopped pecans for garnish (substitute almonds or pine nuts if you’d prefer),2 tablespoons red wine vinegar,1 teaspoon Salt,1 shallot,1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
Instructions:

1. For the dressing
2. Add all the ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth. Taste the dressing and season, as needed.Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.For the salad
3. Refrigerate the clean tomatoes until ready to assemble the salad.Blanch the green beans in boiling water for about three minutes.
4. Drain them and immediately place them in ice water. Once cold, drain and refrigerate until ready to assemble the salad.When ready to serve, add the green beans and tomatoes to a large bowl.
5. Drizzle the chilled dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
6. Serve on individual plates and garnish with the toasted pecans.
7. Add more dressing as desired

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