Say goodbye to boring side dishes! This Green Beans Salad is perfect for a summer barbecue, a festive holiday feast, or a light lunch. Plus, it’s easy to make and looks stunning on the table!
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
This Green Bean Salad is a testament to how simple, fresh ingredients can create something elegant, healthy, and satisfying. It combines the crisp-tender green beans with crunch of toasted sesame seeds, and a zesty mustard dressing.
Why This Green Beans Salad Shines
- Versatile: Pairs wonderfully with grilled chicken, fish, steak, or as a substantial vegetarian side.
- Quick to Assemble: Most of the work is in the prep, making assembly a breeze, especially if you blanch the beans ahead of time.
- Diet Friendly: It has no dairy or gluten along with minimal calories. Making it a perfect choice for high fibre low calorie salad or a side.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fresh Green Beans, trimmed. Look for fresh perky ones, not sad and floppy ones speckled with black dots.
- Dijon Mustard for the smooth well rounded flavour. It is not as sharp as yellow mustard.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil to emulsify the dressing. Substitute it with light seed or avocado oil.
- Lemon Juice or red wine vinegar to brighten up the flavour.
- Chilli Flakes to introduce a subtle spiciness to the salad
- Garlic Cloves finely minced, pressed or grated.
- White Sesame Seeds for the crunch and the nuttiness
- Fresh Parsley or Cilantro for the refreshing flavour.
- Salt and Crushed Pepper
How To Make Beans Salad
1) Prepare Green Beans
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- While the water heats, prepare an ice bath (a large bowl filled with ice and water).
- Trim the green beans. Add the trimmed green beans to the boiling water and blanch for 5 minutes. You want them cooked, but still with a nice snap.
- Immediately drain the green beans and plunge them into the ice bath. This “shocks” the beans, stopping the cooking process and preserving their vibrant green colour and crisp texture.
- Once completely cooled, drain the beans thoroughly and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
2. Prepare the Vinaigrette:
- In a bowl whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, sesame seeds, chilli flakes, salt, and black pepper until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
3. Assemble the Salad
- Add the blanched and cooled beans to the dressing bowl. Toss them nicely in the dressing.
- Add the chopped herbs and mix one last time.
Serve green beans salad immediately, or let it chill in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes for the flavours to meld.
Though the obvious thought would be to serve these green beans as a salad. Try it with a simple piece of grilled chicken breast, steak, or baked fish. That would be a terrific combination!
My Tried and True Tips
- Blanching is Key: Don’t skip the ice bath! It’s essential for achieving that perfect crisp-tender texture and bright green colour.
- Other Nuts: Pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, or even walnuts can be used instead of sesame seeds for a different nutty flavour.
- Add More Veggies: Cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced bell pepper, or even onion would be lovely additions.
- Herb Power: Fresh parsley, tarragon or dill would also complement the flavours.
- Cheese Addition: Add feta or goat cheese for the creaminess and the sharp savoury flavour.
More Green Salad Recipes for you
- Avocado Salad
- Fattoush Salad
- Kale Apple Salad
- Herbed Potato Salad
- Indian Cucumber Salad
- Smashed Cucumber Salad
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Green Beans Salad Recipe
This Green Beans Salad is perfect for a summer barbecue, a festive holiday feast, or a light lunch.
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Servings: 4 adults
Calories: 118kcal
- stockpot or saucepan
- Salad Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 500 gram green beans, cut into half lengthwise
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- handful of parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- crushed black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. While the water heats, prepare an ice bath (a large bowl filled with ice and water).
- Trim the green beans. Add the trimmed green beans to the boiling water and blanch for 5 minutes. You want them cooked, but still with a nice snap.
- Immediately drain the green beans and plunge them into the ice bath.
- Once completely cooled, drain the beans thoroughly and pat them dry.
- In a bowl whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, sesame seeds, chilli flakes, salt, and black pepper until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Add the blanched and cooled beans to the dressing bowl. Toss them nicely in the dressing. Add the chopped herbs and mix one last time.
- Serve green beans salad immediately, or let it chill in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes for the flavours to meld.
Recipe Notes:
Make It Ahead: You can blanch the green beans and prepare the vinaigrette up to a day in advance. Store them separately in the refrigerator. Assemble the salad just before serving for the freshest taste and texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 607mg | Potassium: 300mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 941IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg
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