Green Bean Salad Recipe with Balsamic Dressing
This Green Bean Salad recipe is a healthy and flavorful way to eat your vegetables. The combination of fresh green beans and tangy balsamic dressing come together to create a delicious side dish that can be served any time of year!
You also might love this Easy Air Fryer Green Bean Casserole.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a simple side salad that is full of fresh ingredients and bright flavors. You can’t go wrong!
- Plus, it’s perfect for summer cookouts or holiday meals because you can make it ahead to save time in the kitchen.
- It has a nice crunch from the veggies and it’s easy to customize with your favorite ingredients or whatever is in season.
If you love delicious green bean recipes like this one, you may also enjoy these Roasted Green Beans with Parmesan cheese and Garlic. It’s the perfect side dish to make for holiday meals or family dinners.
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to help you make this easy and fresh side dish recipe. The great thing is that all of these ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store so you don’t have to worry about using a lot of gas to travel to multiple stores.
- fresh green beans
- extra virgin olive oil
- lemon juice
- minced garlic
- balsamic vinegar
- ground mustard
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- diced red onion,
- halved cherry tomatoes
- crumbled feta cheese
How to Make This Easy Green Bean Salad Recipe
Making this delicious salad is so simple. Follow these step by steps or in the recipe card at the bottom of the post and you will have a simple side dish that is full of fresh vegetables to enjoy with your family in no time at all.
Step 1: Steam the green beans
Place the clean and trimmed beans in a large stock pot. Add enough water to cover the beans. Put the pot on the stove and turn on the heat to high until the water starts to boil. When the water reaches a boiling point, cover the pot with the lid and let the beans cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. Test the beans for tenderness. Overcooking will give you soft, mushy beans.
Step 2: Drain and cool the beans
Carefully pour the beans into a strainer to drain the hot water. Transfer the beans into a large ice bath to keep the beans crisp. After 5-10 minutes or when the beans are cool, drain the beans again and place them in a large serving bowl.
Step 3: Make the balsamic dressing
In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, garlic, mustard, and pepper. This will be the dressing for the beans.
Step 4: Finish the salad and chill
Pour the prepared dressing over the beans, then add the diced onion. Gently fold the ingredients together. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
Step 5: Garnish the salad and serve
Right before serving, take the bowl out of the fridge and add the chopped tomatoes and cheese. Mix everything one more time and serve.
Substitutions and Additions
Here are a few ways that you can personalize this recipe so that it suits your tastebuds.
- If you are looking to add some additional flavor to this easy salad? You can add in your favorite beans like kidney beans or black beans.
- You can also add more items to increase the flavor, kalamata olives, pine nuts, or even small mozzarella balls would work great in this salad.
- Instead of the homemade dressing, you can use your favorite vinaigrette dressing,
- Add a touch of heat to his simple side dish by adding a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
- If you are not a fan of feta cheese, you can use blue cheese or even parmesan cheese instead.
Storage
Store the leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can serve this salad cold or at room temperature whichever you prefer.
What to Serve With
This fresh bean salad pairs so well with just about anything. However, this Grilled Chicken with Avocado Salsa or this Easy Smoked Turkey. No matter what you choose to serve with this side dish your whole family will love it.
Sandra’s Pro Tips
These tips will help you make the perfect salad for your meal.
- Watch the green beans closely and cook them until they are just crisp tender you don’t have to overcook them, so they will be mushy.
- Make sure that you use cold water and ice to make the ice bath. This cools the beans quickly to stop the cooking process so that the beans do not overcook.
- You can also marinate the beans in the dressing overnight. Bring the salad to room temperature before folding in the diced onions and feta cheese.
FAQs
Do you have questions about this fresh green bean salad recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions for this recipe.
Yes, you can use frozen green beans, however, you will need to steam them slightly longer than fresh. If you have fresh on hand I recommend using fresh, they will give the best flavor.
Yes, I recommend that you remove the stems from green beans. This will give you a better texture and flavor for your salad.
Yes, you can make this salad up to 24 hours in advance. Just allow it to come to room temperature before you serve it.
Other Delicious Salad Recipes You May Enjoy
Green Bean Salad Recipe with Balsamic Dressing
Equipment
- Large stock pot
- Collander
- Large bowl
- Smal bowl
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans trimmed
- 1/4 cup small red onion diced (1 small onion)
- 2 cups 16 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 5 ounce feta cheese crumbled
Balsamic Dressing
- 2 Tablespoon lemon juice 1 whole lemon
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the clean and trimmed beans in a large stock pot. Add enough water to cover the beans. Put the pot on the stove and turn on the heat to high until the water starts to boil. When the water reaches a boiling point, cover the pot with the lid and let the beans cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. Test the beans for tenderness.
- Carefully pour the beans into a strainer to drain the hot water. Transfer the beans into a large ice bath to keep the beans crisp. After 5-10 minutes or when the beans are cool, drain the beans again and place in a large serving bowl.
- In a seperate a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, garlic, mustard, and pepper. This will be the dressing for the beans.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the beans, then and add the chopped onion and crumbled feta cheese. Gently fold the ingredients together. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Right before serving, take the bowl out of the fridge and add the chopped tomatoes and cheese. Mix everything together one more time and serve.
- You can also marinade the beans in the dressing overnight. Bring the salad to room temperature before folding in the diced onions and feta cheese.
Notes
- Watch the green beans closely and cook them until they are just crisp tender you don’t have to overcook them, so they will be mushy.
- Make sure that you use cold water and ice to make the ice bath. This cools the beans quickly to stop the cooking process so that the beans do not overcook.
- You can also marinate the beans in the dressing overnight. Bring the salad to room temperature before folding in the diced onions and feta cheese.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
