Quick Thanksgiving Green Beans with Barberry and Pomegranate – Vegan

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Twas the day before Thanksgiving, in a far away land, and a blogger was posting her delicious and simple green bean recipe! Simple, stove-less, fresh, crisp, and bright with pomegranate!

I went a little off the rails at the end there, but happy Thanksgiving, friends! I’m posting this latest recipe from Paris, where my husband and I are enjoying our long-awaited honeymoon.

As I have mentioned before, I didn’t grow up celebrating Thanksgiving, and have little attachment to its strictly traditional foods. Also, as a lover of crispy vegetables, green bean casserole distresses me. I know lots of people love it, but the mushiness is a stumbling block for this texture-fussy foodie.

Last year, when my husband and I hosted Thanksgiving for the first time, I made green bean salad similar to this recipe and it was very well received by our guests, both omnivorous and vegan. So here it is, polished up and glammed up for the camera. Vegan. Fresh. Fairly seasonal. And damn pretty!

The technique is simple – blanche sliced green beans in boiling water, shock them in an ice bath, then toss with the other ingredients and dressing. A drizzle of creamy (but dairy-free!) tahini for a pretty finish. The ingredients are flexible too – don’t want to search for the adorable little sour barberries? Pop some dried cranberries in! Currants or raisins would also work. And quite a few stores offer ready to use pomegranate arils, so you don’t need to do it yourself.

I used this dish as an opportunity to use top-quality new harvest olive oil from Seka Hills. I visited their beautiful mill and will have two posts coming up soon with a tour and Hanukkah suggestions. The oil was so fresh and green – perfect for this fresh, green side dish.

A note about one of my all-time favorite ingredients – tahini. I’ve found that the quantities of water and lemon juice needed to make a creamy sauce vary wildly from jar to jar and brand to brand. In the recipe below, I give directions on how to gauge whether yours needs more liquid as you mix it. It comes out utterly delicious – a lovely tribute to the creaminess of the traditional casserole, but dairy-free!

I would serve this salad with Three Sisters Stuffed Squash and grape and onion Cheater’s Braise Chicken. Finish with Chai-Spiced Honey Cake for a luscious, beautiful, and very thankful meal!

Here’s the recipe! I hope you enjoy it and your Thanksgiving. If you’re interested in my foodie travels, follow me on Instagram for updates. Today alone I’ve had gluten-free buckwheat crêpes, café crème, and Jacques Genin chocolates!

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