This is a really fun and festive way to serve green beans, keeping a nice crunch in every bite. The colors are perfect for a Christmas side dish, with the bright green beans and cherry red tomatoes. We simply blanch them for one minute to make the green really pop and then serve them at room temp with tomatoes and a simple Pinot Grigio vinaigrette dressing.
When you go to the market, be sure to select fresh beans that are firm and have few or no brown spots. Keep them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to prepare them. At that time, rinse them under cold water shake dry, and then lay on paper towels to gather up any excess moisture. Snip both ends from the bean. If the beans are long, cut them in half. Now is a great time to blanch them to make them greener.
BRIGHTEN UP YOUR BEANS!
Make your green beans greener and brighter by blanching them for 40-45 seconds in boiling water before you prepare them in your recipe. Remove them from the boiling water and drop them into a big bowl of ice water until they are completely cool. Now store them in an airtight container or use them right away. This can be done a day or two ahead of time.
Toss in some roasted shallots, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese for a really festive, colorful salad. This is a great example of eating the rainbow! The key to the best color is in the blanching, but if you don’t have time, you can just as easily and deliciously serve the beans perfectly raw.
Tomato & Green Bean Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 1/2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 2-3 inch pieces
- 10-12 oz. cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 large shallots, tossed in a little olive oil and sea salt and roasted at 400 F for 10 minutes
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
- 4-6 oz. feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Dressing
- 1 teaspoon Dijon
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup Pinot Grigio White Wine Vinegar (Bertolli makes this, but plain white wine vinegar works too)
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- S & P to taste
Instructions
- Toss all together and season with oregano, salt, and pepper!
- You can also simply use feta, tomatoes and beans for a super easy, beautiful salad!
