Skip to main content
Epicurious

Grilled Green Bean Salad With Thai Dressing

By Katherine Sacks

4.5

(7)

Image may contain Food Dish Meal and Plant
Photo by Emma Fishman

This refreshing Thai-inspired salad pairs a summery mix of charred green and yellow wax beans with chiles, fresh lime juice, and loads of cilantro. The zesty grilled tofu and creamy avocado add filling protein and healthy fats, rounding out the meal for a delicious weeknight vegetarian dinner.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    45 minutes

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

2–3 Thai or serrano chiles, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for grill
1 (14-ounce) block firm tofu, cut into 1/2" planks
1 pound green beans or mix of green beans and yellow wax beans, trimmed
1 ripe but firm mango (about 1 pound), thinly sliced on the bias
1 small carrot (about 5 ounces), thinly sliced on the bias
1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon leaves
2 ripe avocados, cut into quarters, skin removed
2 tablespoons chopped salted, roasted peanuts
1 small head of lettuce (such as romaine hearts or Bibb), separated into leaves for wrapping

Special Equipment

A flat grill basket (about 13 1/2 x 8 1/2") or grill pan

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk chiles, garlic, lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a small bowl. Pour half of sauce into a shallow dish; reserve remaining sauce. Add 1 Tbsp. oil to sauce in shallow dish and whisk to combine. Add tofu and gently toss; set aside to marinate.

    Step 2

    Prepare a grill for medium-high heat (or heat a grill pan over medium-high). If using grill, arrange beans in grill basket and place on hot grill. Cover and grill, turning once halfway through, until beans are lightly charred and crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. If using grill pan, cook beans directly on pan, tossing occasionally, until well charred and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

    Step 3

    Remove tofu from marinade, reserving marinade, and transfer to a plate; pat dry. Brush grill and tofu with oil and grill tofu, turning once halfway through, until lightly charred, 2–3 minutes per side. If using grill, be careful when turning, as tofu may stick. Transfer to plate and drizzle with reserved marinade.

    Step 4

    Toss beans, mango, carrot, and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro with reserved sauce. Transfer to a platter and arrange tofu and avocados alongside. Top with peanuts and 1 Tbsp. cilantro leaves. Arrange lettuce leaves on another platter. To serve, wrap tofu, avocado, and bean mixture in lettuce leaves.

TagsSaladThaiSoutheast AsianAsianThai ChileChileVegetableSerrano ChileTofuGreen BeanBean and LegumeMangoStone FruitFruitCilantroHerbs & SpicesAvocadoLettuceLeafy GreensMainDinnerDairy FreeVeganVegetarianEasyWeeknight MealsGrillingEpicurious

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Kung Pao Cabbage With Tofu
Reliable cabbage is cooked in the punchy sauce and then combined with store-bought baked tofu and roasted cashews for a salad that can also be eaten with rice.
Crispy Oyster Mushroom Skewers With Bok Choy Salad
Oyster mushrooms are a strong all-rounder in the kitchen, seeming to straddle both plant and meat worlds in what they look and taste like when cooked. Here they’re coated in a marinade my mother used to use when cooking Chinese food at home—honey, soy, garlic and ginger—and roasted until golden, crisp, and juicy.
Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Spaghetti)
Spaghetti is a common variation in modern Thai cooking. It’s so easy to work with and absorbs the garlicky, spicy notes of pad kee mao well.
Fattoush Salad With Lemon-Sumac Dressing
Every salad should have pita chips.
Eggplant Roasted in Satay Sauce
Among the top tier of sauces is Indonesian satay sauce, because it is the embodiment of joy and life. In fact, this sauce is also trustworthy and highly respectful of whatever it comes into contact with—perhaps it is, in fact, the perfect friend?
Black Sesame Tofu “Basque” Cheesecake
There are many things that appeal about a Basque cheesecake—it's crustless (one less job) and is meant to look “rustic” with its wrinkled and jagged sides.
Green Curry Mussels
The mussels here add their beautiful, briny juices into the curry, which turn this into a stunning and spectacular dish.
Crispy Tofu With Scallion-Ginger Sauce
The tofu is crunchy on the outside, in part thanks to a panko-studded exterior, and squishy-in-a-good-way on the inside. It also comes together in 20 minutes.