I tend for forget about Romano beans until the end of the season, and by then we may enjoy maybe once. A friend reached out a couple of months ago with a photo of a new to her bean and asked me what to do with it. Needless to say I have had Romano beans on my mind ever since. This recipe for Char Grilled Romano Beans with Tomato Vinaigrette was exactly how I wanted them. All the flavors I love of summer; crunchy beans mixed with acidic but sweet as candy cherry tomatoes, smokiness from charring the beans and that creamy Dijon adds flare to this recipe.
What are Romano beans? They are a long flat green bean from Italy. I have heard there are yellow as well as purple varieties of Romano beans, I have yet to find them at my farmer’s markets. Just to clarify Romano beans are NOT fava beans; I have had discussions with people about this many times. Romano or as Lenny calls them Ray Romano beans might look similar to a fava; but they are not the same. Romanos are Italian flat beans while Favas are Italian broad beans. How to tell the difference? Romanos are flat, usually juicy (especially early season ones) and sweet, I enjoy snacking on them raw with dips. Favas are big, bumpy green pods that need to be removed to find the inner bean whose tough skin also needs to be removed, though Lenny’s Portuguese family doesn’t believe in peeling the inner fava bean. Also, Favas come out in the spring time.
How do I use Romano beans? Most people prefer to braise Romano beans as they can be a little tough at times. That being said if you can pick out the smaller beans I find they are more tender, this is what I like to do. I have braised them, roasted them, grilled them, blanched them and as I mentioned above enjoy them raw with dips. This recipe is a two step cooking process but is not hard and you can still have them on the table within 40 minutes. I lightly blanch them before throwing onto the grill. Grilling vegetables is one of my favorite summer past times, and grilling the Romano beans gives them a nice smoky depth of flavor. They pair so well with the tomato vinaigrette once charred; I tried serving just blanched and the recipe really flopped.
This Char Grilled Romano Beans with Tomato Vinaigrette recipe can be enjoyed warm off the grill or chilled for an hour or two. It can also be enjoyed as a side dish or as a salad. We prefer it off the grill, room temperature which means sitting dressed for about 20 – 30 minutes while preparing rest of the meal, and as a salad. It really stands alone when served with a beautiful piece of grilled salmon or trout. It only keeps for about a day, if you have some leftovers enjoy the next day for lunch.
More Bean Salad Recipes you may enjoy:
Char Grilled Romano Beans with Tomato Vinaigrette
Blanched and then char grilled romano beans are dressed with a summery cherry tomato vinaigrette to make this perfect summer salad. Great served alongside your favorite grilled meat. We think it goes really well with grilled salmon or trout.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh Romano beans
- 5 ounces cherry tomatoes, cut larger ones in half and keep smaller ones whole
- 4 tablespoons red onion or shallots, small dice
- 2 cloves (small) of garlic, finely minced or smashed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- handful of basil, thinly sliced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water along with a tablespoon of salt to boil.
- Add the beans, push down with a spoon and blanch for 3 minutes.
- Pour immediately into a colander placed in the sink and begin rinsing the beans with very cold water. Top the beans with a couple of cups of ice and let sit to stop the cooking. You want them crisp and bright. Not soggy and faded.
- Preheat the grill to 425.
- Pat the beans dry with paper towels. Place onto a baking sheet and lightly drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Place the beans onto the grill and char until desired char marks. I like some golden brown and some chared black. It takes about 4 - 5 minutes per side to get the romano beans the way we like them
- While the beans are grilling make the dressing. In a small bowl combine the cherry tomatoes, red onion, garlic, olive oil, red vinegar and dijon, along with a sprinkle of salt this helps release the tomato juices. I prefer maldon salt. Stir and slightly smash the tomatoes. Let sit.
- Once the beans arre finished grilling place onto a serving plater and top with the dressing. Let sit at least 20 minutes to marry all the flavors together.
- Sprinkled the thinnly sliced basil over the top.
- Serve.
- Eat.
Notes
If you have the option of picking out the beans, grab the smaller romano beans as we find they are a bit more tender as well as sweeter and juicer.