Looking for a quick and easy side for your summer BBQs? This Italian Green Bean Salad is what you're looking for if you want something delicious and finished in less than 30 minutes.
Looking for a more hearty salad? Try our Easy BBQ Chicken Salad or Grilled Shrimp Salad with Mango Lime Dressing
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Why This Easy Salad?
When I'm grilling outside, there's nothing more I hate than having to run in and out of the house trying to prepare another food while I have something grilling. The grill is so hot and things can cook so quickly, I want to be right in front of it at all times to make sure what I'm doing doesn't get ruined.
I love a recipe that I can make in the morning that I can just pull out of the fridge when dinner is served. It makes my life so much easier. This green bean salad is just that. It takes less than 30 minutes and it's best served cold. I can prep it in the morning and it's good to go when I pull the main course off the grill, like my Grilled Stuffed Pork Chops or Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Green Beans. A lot of times when I'm cooking green beans, I don't chop off the ends. When you're making a cold salad and the green beans will be extra crisp, I recommend chopping off the ends of the green beans for the best texture.
Slivered Almonds. I love slivered almonds in this recipe but you could substitute pine nuts or chopped walnuts. This is definitely an area where you can experiment.
Cherry Tomatoes. I'm a huge anti-grape tomato guy. Team Cherry Tomato all the way. Especially in a recipe like this. The sweetness of the cherry tomato is the perfect match for the lemony dressing.
*Please see recipe card below for more information about ingredients.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Chop the ends off your green beans and half them. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop your green beans in and boil for 3 minutes. Prepare a large bowl with ice water.
Step 2: Strain the green beans and place them in the bowl of ice for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Combine olive oil, the juice from 1 lemon, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper and whisk together.
Step 4: Transfer the green beans to a bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Combine with the marinade. Mix in the slivered almonds. Wrap and store in the fridge for at least 1 hour and serve.
Pro-Tips
- When blanching green beans, make sure the bowl of ice has enough ice in it to chill the green beans fully. If the ice melts and the water gets warm, the green beans won't be as crisp.
- Adjust the lemon juice to taste as some lemons are juicier than others. Use about ¼ cup.
What to serve this salad with
I love to serve this whenever I'm grilling. I can make it in advance which is great for whenever I want to grill in the afternoon. It saves time and I don't have to run in and out of the house trying to do 2 things at once.
- Try it with some of our grilled favorites like Italian Ring Sausage, Chicken Spiedini, or Italian Sausage and Peppers.
- Add it as a side to your burgers like Bacon Blue Cheeseburger, My Big Fat Greek Chicken Burger, or Goat Cheese Burger with Fig Jam.
- It's also a great side for seafood like Lemon Garlic Broiled Flounder, Pistachio Crusted Fish, or Cast Iron Lemon Dill Salmon.
Recipe FAQs
Green bean salad is filled with green beans, cherry tomatoes, almonds, and an Italian dressing, usually olive oil, red wine vinegar, and some lemon.
When blanching green beans, it's all about timing. Only have them in boiling water for 3 minutes max and immediately transfer them to a bowl filled with ice. If all your ice melts in the 5 minutes they were in there, you didn't have enough ice. Make sure it's really cold water.
Video Recipe
More Spring and Summer Side Dishes
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📖 Recipe
Italian Green Bean Salad
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 large bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans, chopped
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
Instructions
- Chop the ends off your green beans and half them. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop your green beans in and boil for 3 minutes. Prepare a large bowl with ice water. Strain the green beans and place them in the bowl of ice for 5 minutes.
- Combine olive oil, the juice from 1 lemon, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper and whisk together.
- Transfer the green beans to a bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Combine with the marinade. Mix in the slivered almonds. Wrap and store in the fridge for at least 1 hour and serve.
Notes
- When blanching green beans, make sure the bowl of ice has enough ice in it to fully chill the green beans.
- Adjust the lemon juice to taste as some lemons are juicier than others. Use about ¼ cup.
elaine
just an amazing way to serve green on a hot summer day
Vinny
This cold green bean salad is delicious and easy make ahead recipe for a bbq or lunch!