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Crisp and flavorful green bean salad is seasoned with garlic, feta, and lemon for a tasty side, perfect to accompany any dinner!
We love a tasty veggie side, especially when it involves green beans! Fried Green Beans, Roasted Green Beans, and this green bean salad are some of our favorites.
We Love This Simple Salad
A warm salad is a perfect side dish for a simple weeknight meal. This green bean salad is dressy enough to serve alongside a holiday spread or for special occasions.
Here are a few more reasons why we love it:
- Flavor. This green bean salad uses simple flavors to create a tasty dish.
- Made in minutes. You simply cook, season, and serve.
- Safe choice. Green beans are mostly loved by kids and adults alike, especially when you add fabulous flavors to the mix!
This dish is basically an elevated version of our Sautéed Green Beans! We hope you love it.
Ingredients
- green beans – There are two main varieties typically found in American grocery stores. “Green beans” are more tender and “French green beans” are a bit thinner and longer. Both have similar tastes and can be used interchangeably in recipes.
- water
- salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- lemon juice – fresh squeezed or from a bottle
- minced garlic
- black pepper
- feta cheese – can be replaced with blue cheese, ricotta cheese, goat cheese, halloumi cheese, or parmesan cheese
- fresh basil leaves for garnish – Chiffonade means to finely shred. Stack the basil leaves with the largest on the bottom and the smallest on top. Roll the stack tightly and use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the roll into thin slices (about ⅛ inch).
- Lemon zest – Zest the lemon before you juice it.
- sliced almonds – can be replaced with cashews, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, or pine nuts
Ready in Minutes!
This green bean salad recipe is quick, simple, and packed with flavor!
- COOK. In a large skillet, add green beans, water, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stirring occasionally, cover, and cook on medium-low heat until the beans are nearly tender (about 8-9 minutes). Remove the lid and cook until liquid evaporates (about 2-3 minutes). Remove the beans from the skillet and set aside.
- SEASON. In the skillet, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, pepper, and remaining salt on low heat. Add the cooked green beans along with half of the feta cheese and toss to combine. Whisk in any more seasonings or lemon juice as desired. Add almonds for some crunch.
- GARNISH. Transfer the beans and mixture to a serving platter and garnish with remaining feta, basil, and any lemon zest desired.
Store leftovers. Leftover salad with green beans can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Variations
Add in some extra flavors or toast the almonds on this feta green bean salad.
- Add in sliced red onions, cherry tomatoes, or kalamata olives.
- Add some cooked crumbled bacon or sliced grilled chicken.
- Flavor to taste with salt and black pepper.
Recipe Tips
This green bean salad starts with perfectly prepped beans. With a quick prep time, you’ll love whipping these up!
- Green beans. Fresh green beans should be used, rather than frozen, and definitely not canned. Here’s how to prepare them:
- Trim the stems of the green beans, the part once attached to the plant. You do not need to trim the tail, but many people do so for visual appeal.
- Discard any beans that are soft and brown on the outside and check the insides once they have been cut.
- Cut the green beans into equal pieces, about 2-3 inches long.
- Cooking method. Many recipes instruct you to blanch the green beans in a large pot of salted water and then plunge them into a large bowl of ice water. But I fell in love with the use of the skillet to cook up perfect tender-crisp green beans to use in this salad recipe.
- Toasted almonds. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the sliced almonds in a single layer on the pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes, stir after 4 minutes, until the slices are fragrant and beginning to brown.
For more green bean sides, try:
Green Bean Salad Recipe
Crisp and flavorful green bean salad is seasoned with garlic, feta, and lemon for a tasty side, perfect to accompany any dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans (about 4 cups), trimmed and cut into 2 to 3” long pieces
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
- 4 large fresh basil leaves, chiffonade, for garnish
- Lemon zest from about ½ lemon, for garnish
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds, toasted if desired
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add green beans, water, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stirring occasionally, cover and cook on medium-low heat until the beans are nearly tender (about 8-9 minutes). Remove the lid and cook until liquid evaporates (about 2-3 minutes). Remove the beans from the skillet and set aside.
- In the skillet, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, pepper, and remaining salt on low heat.
- Add the cooked green beans along with half of the feta cheese and toss to combine. Add any more seasonings or lemon juice as desired. Add almonds.
- Transfer the beans and mixture to a serving platter and garnish with remaining feta, basil, and any lemon zest desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 168kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 406mg, Potassium: 309mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 843IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 112mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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We are filled and had so much fun with our dinner last night! This green bean salad is so easy and perfectly complements our fave steak! I’m keeping this recipe!
It’s a very simple and easy to make recipe but so classy and so delicious! It’s one of our favorite salads eversince we got to try this.
These are the most perfect side to just about ANYTHING! My whole family loved them. Can’t wait to make these again!