Sarah Copeland's Yellow Bean Salad with Potatoes, Capers, and Eggs

Earlier this year, my friend Sarah Copeland’s beautiful book Every Day is Saturday hit the shelves. It’s filled with so many easy to follow recipes that make weeknight cooking feel like a weekend, or Saturday if you will, cooking. I love the concept of the book—making everyday meals feel as special and fun as a Saturday or Sunday feast. And there are so many fun recipes and strategies that help to achieve that magic.

Back in June, I had the honor of hosting a cookbook club potluck at my house and chose Sarah’s book as the cookbook that month. We had a proper brunch filled with everything from Chocolate Snacking Loaf to Braised Short Rib to a light and refreshing Raspberry Shrub. I loved hearing about each person’s adventure cooking through their recipe and then sitting down to a giant table enjoying the fruits of our labors. The consensus was that all the recipes came together with ease and were built to be expanded on and tweaked to be your own.

While this recipe for Sarah’s Yellow Bean Salad with Potatoes, Capers, and Eggs did not make it to the cookbook club table, it has graced my table many times throughout the year. I love how easy it is to make it ahead and serve it up to a large group or pack it up for a quick but kinda gourmet snack on the road. Sarah says it’s akin to a “salade Niçoise of France with a bit of Italian influence” and it’s a dish that will carry you from spring to fall, though here in LA, I’m still seeing green beans at the market, which can absolutely be subbed into this recipe.

A couple of notes on the recipe…I did not add anchovies, as I’m not a fan, and instead added a bit of extra flaky salt at the end. Also, I went for a combo of red wine vinegar and sherry (50/50 ratio) and felt like that was a winner. Finally, for the eggs, I boiled them for just under 7 minutes so that they were a little jammy, but not too jammy.

YELLOW BEAN SALAD WITH POTATOES, CAPERS, AND EGGS

Reprinted from Every Day Is Saturday by Sarah Copeland with permission by Chronicle Books, 2019

INGREDIENTS

8 oz (226 g) small potatoes, such as fingerlings or new potatoes
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 handful (about 4 oz/115 g) of green, yellow, or purple wax beans, trimmed
¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup (35 g) plump green olives, such as Castelvetranos, pitted
1 Tbsp capers, plus brine
¼ cup (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves or tarragon, or both
4 anchovy fillets (optional)
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

 TOOLS

Pots

FIX

Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with heavily salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, oil, 1 teaspoon fine salt, and pepper to taste, and set aside.

Cut the cooked potatoes into quarters (if large) or halves (if small) and arrange them on a platter in an even layer. Spoon over about 1⁄3 cup (80 ml) of the dressing and set aside while you prepare the rest of the salad. Bring another pot of water to a boil, with a bowl of salted ice water ready nearby. Drop the green beans into the boiling water; when their color is deeply saturated (a couple of minutes), transfer them to the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and pat them dry.

Toss the beans, onion, olives, capers (with their brine), parsley, and anchovies (if using) together with the remaining dressing in a large bowl, then transfer to the platter. Add the eggs, sprinkle with flaky salt, and serve at room temperature.

GET AHEAD

Cook your potatoes and blanch your green beans; drain, cover tightly, and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days for the beans and 4 days for the potatoes. Bring to room temperature before cutting the potatoes and assembling the salad.