Jeweled Potato & Green Bean Salad with Sunflower Seed Dressing

This is one of the salads we had made for our wedding.  Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe.  I also used to make this for picnics when we went to the Renaissance Faire.

Since this isn’t a mayo or ranch-dressed potato salad, those of you who have egg or dairy allergies will be happy to note that you can still partake of a creamy, dairy-free dressing.

Ingredients

• 6 medium new (yellow) potatoes
• 6 medium red potatoes
• 6 medium blue potatoes
• 1 c French-cut green beans, cut in half
• 1/2 medium red onion
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/4 t thyme
• 1/4 t tarragon
• 1/8 t rosemary
• 1/8 t dried basil
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 1/2 fresh ground pepper
• For the dressing
• 1/2 c light olive oil
• 1/2 c hulled sunflower seeds
• 1/3 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 T white wine vinegar
• 2 T honey
• 3-4 T water (for thinning)
• 1/2 t sea salt

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 425°. 
2. Rinse the potatoes well and pat dry. Cut the potatoes into quarters or eighths (chunks should be about 1-1 1/2″ in size) and place in a bowl. Add the 2 T olive oil and toss together, followed by the herbs, sea salt, and ground pepper. Mix together well so that all of the potato chunks are evenly coated with the oil & herbs. 
3. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Place in the oven and roast for about 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven & allow to cool.
4. In the meantime, quickly blanch the green beans by putting them in a pot of rapidly boiling water for about 30 seconds and immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Drain & set aside. 
5. Thinly slice the red onion and add to the green beans. 
6. Prepare the dressing by combining all remaining ingredients except for the water and puree well until you have a thick, creamy base. The dressing will be very thick & almost pasty at first; don’t worry! Simply add the water one tablespoon at a time until the dressing is about the same consistency as ranch or bleu cheese.
7. When potatoes have cooled, place in a bowl and add the green beans & onions. Toss together gently. Spoon onto a plate or bowl and drizzle generously with the dressing. If you prefer your salad to have the dressing already mixed in, add about 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing to the potatoes & veggies and fold into the salad until everything is completely coated. 
8. Serve as a side or an entree, and enjoy!

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Original recipe: Poor Girl Eats Well

Posted by Jasmine