Our Favorite Green Bean Salad
- PREP 5min
- COOK 5min
- TOTAL 10min
This incredible cold green bean salad recipe has been a family favorite for years. It’s one of the best ways to enjoy fresh green beans. We toss the beans with a simple shallot vinaigrette and finish with crispy fried shallots (optional). You can buy fried shallots or make them. Here’s our crispy fried shallots recipe.
You Will Need
1 pound (450g) green beans or small haricots verts
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Crispy fried shallots, optional, our recipe for fried shallots
Directions
Trim ends from green beans and leave them whole. Prepare a bowl filled with cold water and ice.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the green beans. Cook until bright green but still crisp. I check for doneness after 2 minutes, then add additional time as needed. Depending on how thin the beans are, they will need 2 to 4 minutes.
Drain the beans and toss them into the ice water.
Whisk the minced shallots, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper in the bottom of a salad bowl. Taste, then adjust with more salt and pepper if needed.
Toss in the green beans, then serve with crispy shallots sprinkled on top (optional).
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Frozen green beans: Fresh beans are crisper, but you can substitute them for frozen ones. Add the frozen beans to the salted boiling water and cook until heated through and tender. Transfer to the ice bath and then use in the salad as directed above.
- Storing: The salad will last up to a day in the fridge, after that, it will still taste delicious, but the beans will lose some of their bright green color.
- Instead of crispy shallots, try frying up some minced or sliced garlic for a green bean salad with crispy garlic.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.