This colorful green bean salad is a great side dish for barbecued meat, poultry and fish. Serve chilled, and its easy and healthy summer cookouts, picnics and tailgating. For a vegan version, leave out the feta.
9tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil½ cup + 1 tablespoon
3tablespoonsred wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2teaspoonsDijon mustard
1largegarlic clovefinely chopped and smeared, or zested
½teaspoonhoneyoptional but tames the tartness
⅛teaspoonsea salt
⅛teaspoonground black pepper
Green Bean Salad
16ouncesbaby green beans or regular green beansharicot vert
8ouncessweet grape or cherry tomatoes in mixed colors
4-6ouncesfeta cheesecrumbled or cubes
2earscorn on the cobor 9 ounces of corn kernels, 1 ¾ cups
¼red onion
Fresh chopped mint, chives or herbsoptional garnish
4tablespoonskosher salt for blanching
Instructions
Cook beans and corn
Put a big pot of cold water on to boil, adding 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per quart of water for blanching. This seasons the vegetables (and you don't consume all that salt so don't worry.) Ready a large bowl filled with half ice and half cold water to shock the green beans after cooking. This stops the cooking process and keeps the beans bright green.
While water is coming to a boil, halve the tomatoes and thinly slice the red onion. Add the red onion to a small bowl of cold water and soak for 10-15 minutes. Drain and dry on a paper towel.
When water is boiling, cook corn first for 3 minutes. Remove the cobs, drain and cool, the slice the kernels off of the cobs. Keep water boiling.Next cook the green beans in the same pot for 5 minutes, then remove immediately to the ice water. Drain and dry. If beans are long, cut them in 2-3 pieces.
Make vinaigrette
Add oil, vinegar, Dijon, honey, garlic, salt and pepper to a jar and shake well ir add to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Garlic tip: Use a microplane zester to get it really fine so you have no bit of raw garlic in your dressing. Alternatively chop fine and smear into a paste with the back of your chef's knife.
When ready to serve, add the green, tomatoes, corn, onion, and feta to a large bowl. Toss with a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Add nuts and herbs is using. Pass extra dressing at the table.
Notes
Substitutions and variations:
Swap sun dried tomatoes for fresh
Use a Balsamic vinaigrette or Balsamic glaze
Add nuts: walnuts, almonds, pine nuts
Nutritional note: the calculation includes all of the vinaigrette and it makes extra. Use any extra vinaigrette for green salads or try it as a marinade for grilled chicken breasts or shrimp.