Green Bean Salad

Green bean salad is a fresh, crunchy, bright, and delicious salad full of tomatoes, almonds, and green beans tossed in a quick lemon vinaigrette. 

Also called a French Green Bean Salad, it can be as fancy or as basic as you like, it’s a perfect complement to any summer dish, from barbecue ribs, to pork chops! It’s colorful, tasty and goes with anything.

What’s in a Green Bean Salad?

Only the best of everything marinated, that’s all! Garlic, cherry tomatoes, a little lemon juice, vinegar and oil, and this cold, crunchy salad is a perfect side dish to nearly any entrée you’re serving. Don’t forget the almonds!

Adjust the vinaigrette or the seasonings and make it as tangy as you like! Even on top of a bed of greens, it can be a meal all on it’s own!

Extra additions

This salad is simple and delicious but feel free to change it up with your own additions or alternatives:

• goat cheese or feta cheese
• slivered red onion
• quinoa or grains
• pine nuts, pecans or walnuts
• toasted bread crumbs

How to Blanch Green Beans

Blanching veggies means to boil them for a short period and then to plunge them into cold water to stop cooking.

1. Wash: Rinse them and then cut or snap off each end.
2. Boil: Add prepared green beans into boiling water for a couple of minutes, just until tender crisp.
3. Ice Bath: Let their bright green color emerge and then remove them from the boiling water and plunge them into a bowl of ice water.

The ice bath is the part that radically stops the cooking process, first they are plunged into hot water to cook them, then into cold water to suddenly stop the cooking process. This makes them cooked, but bright green and crunchy and perfectly ready to eat in a salad!

To Keep Green Beans Bright Green
A quick tip I learned at our local culinary school… when boiling green beans (or any other green veggie like asparagus) add a pinch of baking soda to the water. This won’t change the flavor but will keep the beans a vibrant green (rather than a dull color) for a beautiful dish!

How to Store It

Green bean salad will last at least a week as long as it stays cold. Keep it covered tightly and refresh the flavors with salt and pepper as needed.

The Best Main Dishes for Green Bean Salad

Green Bean Salad goes with everything! Any kind of protein; chicken, beef, or pork lend themselves perfectly to the crispy, crunchy flavors this salad brings to the table! It even works by itself! It’s also a great work-day salad for when you are dining at the desk!

More Delicious Side Salads

• Italian Pasta Salad – my favorite
• Fresh Corn Salad – seriously fresh
• Caprese Pasta Salad – great for potlucks
• Easy Orzo Pasta Salad – so fresh
• Cucumber Tomato Salad – make ahead

Green Bean Salad

This easy green bean salad with tomatoes is colorful, tasty and goes with anything, so it is a perfect addition to a barbecue or a potluck!

• 1 lb green beans (trimmed)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• salt & pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil (chopped)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds

1. Bring water and baking soda to a rolling boil. Cook green beans 4- 5 minutes or until tender crisp. Drain beans and place in an ice bath.
2. Combine lemon juice, sugar, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl. Add green beans and tomatoes and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes.
3. Top with basil and almonds just before serving.
   

Recipe inspired by Jamie Dean.

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