Green Bean and Mushroom Salad

Ingredients:

• 700 g of green beans
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 lemons
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 280 g cremini mushrooms, very thinly sliced
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer the beans to a large bowl. Toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Let cool, uncovered.
2. Finely grate the zest of 1 lemon; combine with the shallots in another large bowl. Squeeze the juice from both lemons over the zest. Add the mushrooms and toss with 1 tablespoon of salt. Set aside.
3. Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat until golden brown. Sprinkle with sugar and a pinch of salt and toast until the sugar dissolves, about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the mushrooms and gently toss them with the beans, parsley, and half of the walnuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with the remaining walnuts.