Mediterranean Green Bean Salad
This Mediterranean Green Bean Salad is the perfect side dish to whip up and enjoy this summer. Packing in the goodness of green beans and lots of other fresh ingredients, this delicious dish is super healthy and flavorful. Best of all, it comes together in minutes!
Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Veggies: My favorite part about this salad is the fact that it is a great way to get lots of veggies on your plate.
- Tasty: With a delicious, savory dressing, you’ll be able to jazz up simple ingredients, and transform them into this wickedly delicious marinated green bean salad that you’ll love every bite of.
- Versatile: Plus, the salad is super versatile, which means you can pair it with almost any of your favorite foods.
Recipe Ingredients
To make this fiber and flavor packed green bean salad, here’s what you’ll need.
- String beans: Fresh green beans add crunch and a vibrant color to the salad.
- Zucchini: Bulks up the salad, adding texture and summer freshness.
- Tomato: Enhances the salad with juiciness, flavor, and a pop of red color.
- Dill: Brightens the salad, offering a fresh herby note.
- Mushrooms: Contribute protein and umami flavor for a hearty touch.
- Coriander: Adds an extra hint of freshness and unique flavor.
- Parsley: Elevates the dish with its fresh, slightly peppery taste.
- Allspice: Infuses the salad with a warm, aromatic flavor profile.
- Lemon juice: Injects tanginess, enhancing the overall flavor of the salad.
- Bay leaf: Used in blanching water for an extra layer of subtle flavor.
- Olive oil: Sautés zucchini and adds richness and healthy fats to the salad.
- Garlic: Intensifies the salad’s flavor with its pungent, spicy kick.
- Seasonings: A dash of salt (and optional black pepper) balances and enhances flavors.
How to Make Green Bean Salad
Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you’ll need to do to make the green bean salad.
Step 1: Prep the Veggies
Cut the zucchini into half slices. Chop the mushrooms into slices.
Step 2: Cook Zucchini and Mushrooms
Grease a grill pan with oil. Arrange the zucchini slices. Cook until lightly charred. Fry the mushroom slices and cool.
Step 3: Blanch the Green Beans
Cut off the tips of the green beans. Cut into small pieces. Boil water in a large pot, add salt and bay leaf. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Rinse the beans in a colander and immediately pour ice water or cold water over them.
Step 4: Chop Tomatoes
Remove the sepals and seeds from the tomato. Cut it into medium cubes. Chop the greens.
Step 5: Combine and Toss.
Mix all the ingredients together and place on a plate to serve. For the dressing, mix the dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, spices and garlic in a small bowl. Dress the salad.
Expert Tips
While making the green bean salad is super easy, you might want to have these little tips and tricks handy too.
- If you don’t have the lemon juice that the recipe calls for, you can use some vinegar instead. Vinegar helps bring some tanginess and flavor to the salad. Balsamic vinegar is a great choice since it brings a nice bit of umami flavor too.
- The easiest way to get the perfect crisp tender green beans and have that bright green color for this recipe is to use fresh green beans and then blanch them, just like I did.
- If you’re blanching the fresh green beans, remember to pat dry before you use them in this recipe.
- You can also use frozen green beans and stir fry them on high heat with a dash of olive oil in a hot pan. This will help you get the crisp green beans you’re looking for.
- I’ve added lots of fresh herbs to this salad- you can use what you have at hand. I would highly recommend adding chopped fresh basil too, if you can get your hands on it.
Substitutions
- If you don’t want to cook green beans, you can also choose to use canned green beans for this recipe.
- Just remember to drain off the extra liquid before you use them for the recipe. I would also suggest seasoning the beans with some salt and pepper and then using them to make a nice marinated green bean salad.
Variations
In addition to everything I’ve added, you can also add in other ingredients to customize the salad.
- Roasted cauliflower, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, and chopped green onions are all great choices.
- If you want the salad to have an extra crunch factor, you can also add some toasted almonds or pine nuts into the mix.
- To make this salad protein rich, you can add some grilled chicken or hard boiled eggs into it towards the end.
- If you’re looking for a vegetarian protein instead, cannellini beans and garbanzo beans could be great options to consider.
- Kalamata olives can bring a nice bit of salty flavor and deliciousness to the salad.
- You can also top the salad with a nice salty cheese like goat cheese or feta cheese to enhance its flavor.
Storage Instructions
- Fridge: If you have any leftover salad, you can move it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Since this salad is made using fresh ingredients, it tastes best when you serve immediately.
- Meal Prep: If you’re planning to meal prep this salad, you may want to prepare the dressing separately and then put the green bean salad together in a large bowl when you want to serve it.
- Fresh Is Best: Storing the salad with the dressing added in can actually cause the fresh beans and the other ingredients to start to release water.
What To Serve With This Recipe?
- Poached Chicken: The tender and mild flavor of poached chicken serves as a versatile protein accompaniment to the salad. Its neutral taste allows the vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean green bean salad to shine, creating a balanced and satisfying meal.
- Grilled Shrimp: Grilled shrimp adds a burst of savory flavor to the salad, enhancing its overall taste profile. The smokiness from the grill and the subtle sweetness of the shrimp complement the freshness of the green beans and the tangy dressing, creating a harmonious combination of flavors and textures.
- Air-Fried Salmon: Air-fried salmon offers a crispy exterior and tender, flaky interior that contrasts beautifully with the crispness of the green beans in the salad. The rich, buttery flavor of the salmon adds depth to the dish, while its lightness and nutritional value make it a perfect pairing for the vibrant and refreshing Mediterranean flavors of the salad.
Green Bean Salad
This delicious green bean salad is super simple to make and is full of goodness and nutrition
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. string beans.
- 1 small zucchini
- 1/2 bunch of parsley
- 1 tomato
- 1/2 bunch of dill
- 1-2 mushrooms
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. coriander
- 1 tsp. allspice
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
Instructions
- Cut the zucchini into half slices. Chop the mushrooms into slices.
- Grease a grill pan with oil. Arrange the zucchini slices. Cook until lightly charred. Fry the mushroom slices and cool.
- Cut off the tips of the green beans. Cut into small pieces. Boil water in a large pot, add salt and bay leaf.
- Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
- Rinse the beans in a colander and immediately pour ice water or cold water over them.
- Remove the sepals and seeds from the tomato. Cut it into medium cubes. Chop the greens.
- Mix all the ingredients together and place on a plate to serve. For the dressing, mix the dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, spices and garlic in a small bowl.
- Dress the salad.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 126Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 152mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g
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