This marinated Italian Green Bean Salad recipe is fresh and easy! It's tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes, almonds, and cheese.
The season of fresh vegetables is upon us and I'm celebrating with this Green Bean Salad. It's full of bright Italian flavors and absolutely perfect to enjoy during the summer months.
Salads like this one are great to serve alongside any of your favorite BBQ dishes. It makes a nice addition to any potluck or picnic. The ingredients and flavors pair well with any variety of grilled meats or vegetable sides.
If you've got green beans growing in the garden or if you've received a bunch of them in your CSA box then this is the salad for you. And all the better if you've got cherry tomatoes on hand.
The beans and tomatoes are tossed in a homemade garlic balsamic vinaigrette along with Parmesan cheese and slivered almonds.
Salads like this one are why I attempt to fight the local deer population in my efforts to grow my own garden.
Jump to:
- What Are The Best Beans For Salad?
- Ingredients For Italian Green Bean Salad
- How Long Do You Cook Green Beans For Salad?
- What Can I Add To Green Beans For Flavor?
- How To Make Balsamic Vinaigrette
- How To Make Green Bean Salad From Scratch
- What To Serve With Italian Green Bean Salad
- Can This Salad Be Made Ahead?
- How Long Does It Last In The Fridge?
- Can It Be Frozen?
- Italian Green Bean Salad
What Are The Best Beans For Salad?
This salad is made using fresh green beans. Any variety of fresh green beans should work.
The key is to choose green beans that are young, tender, and bright green in color. The beans should snap in half when bent using your fingers. Beans that bend as opposed to snap are older and better suited for soups or braising.
I would recommend fresh beans as opposed to frozen or canned. The texture of fresh green beans is far superior to those that have been frozen or canned.
Ingredients For Italian Green Bean Salad
You only need a few ingredients for this fresh and flavorful salad.
Here's what you'll need to make it.
- 1 lb. Fresh Green Beans (washed and trimmed)
- 1 pint Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
- ¼ tsp. each Kosher Salt and Pepper
- ½ cup Slivered Almonds
- ⅓ cup Parmesan Cheese (shredded or shaved)
How Long Do You Cook Green Beans For Salad?
The great thing about this salad is that it takes little time to prepare.
The beans are not fully cooked but instead are blanched and shocked. This simply means that they are cooked for a few minutes in boiling water and then transferred to a bowl of ice water which rapidly stops the cooking process.
This allows the beans to become slightly tender while still retaining their crunch and vibrant green color.
- The first step is to wash and trim 1 lb. of fresh green beans. To trim them simply remove both ends of the beans with a knife and discard.
- Once the beans are trimmed cut them into halves or thirds (depending on what size beans you prefer in your salad).
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling carefully place the trimmed beans into the pot and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Using a Spider strainer or metal slotted spoon transfer the green beans to a prepared bowl of ice water. Allow the beans to cool in the ice bath.
- Once cooled, drain the beans completely in a colander.
If you prefer the beans to have a nice crunch boil them for 3 minutes and for a slightly softer bean allow them to cook up to 5 minutes.
What Can I Add To Green Beans For Flavor?
As far as fresh salads go, this is one of the easiest recipes out there.
The addition of grape tomatoes makes this salad taste like summer. Nothing compares to the sweet and tangy flavor of fresh tomatoes in season.
This recipe calls for 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes. You can use other varieties of tomatoes such as Roma or Beefsteak but smaller varieties are better as they contain less water.
The amount of water in larger tomato varieties may effect the water content of the salad.
- To prepare the tomatoes simply wash them and cut them into halves or quarters (this can be done while the green beans are draining).
- Once the beans are drained place them in a large mixing bowl along with the chopped cherry tomatoes.
You can chop the tomatoes into halves or quarters depending on what size you prefer.
How To Make Balsamic Vinaigrette
This Italian Green Bean Salad is tossed in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette that works to complement, as opposed to overwhelm the fresh vegetables.
Balsamic vinegar is a slightly sweet variety of vinegar that's dark in color and rich in flavor. It's aged in wooden barrels giving it characteristics that distinguish it from other varieties such as red wine or white vinegar.
It's naturally gluten free (although it's always best to check the label) and a great addition to dressings, marinades, and sauces.
- To make this vinaigrette finely mince 2 cloves of garlic.
- Add ¼ cup olive oil, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, the minced garlic, and ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper to a small mixing bowl.
- Stir all of the ingredients until completely combined using a small whisk or fork.
How To Make Green Bean Salad From Scratch
Once the balsamic vinaigrette is ready it's time to add it to the green beans and tomatoes.
- Pour a bit of the vinaigrette into the salad at a time, carefully mixing it into the vegetables with a large spoon.
- Continue to do so until all of the dressing is tossed in with the salad. Alternately, you can add as much or as little of the dressing as you like to the salad and save the rest for another salad. Any leftover salad dressing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
It's important to do this carefully so that the tomatoes do not break apart and become mushy.
What To Serve With Italian Green Bean Salad
Once the beans and tomatoes are tossed in the vinaigrette it's time to finish the salad with slivered almonds and Parmesan cheese.
- Add ½ cup of slivered (or sliced) almonds to the salad along with ⅓ cup of shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Carefully mix all of the ingredients until completely combined and transfer to a serving bowl.
- Garnish with fresh basil or herb of choice (optional).
- Enjoy right away or store the salad in the fridge for 1-2 hour and allow to marinate.
A Few Things
- You can sub the slivered almonds for any nuts of choice. Walnuts, hazelnuts, or pistachios are all great options.
- Any variety of Parmesan or dry salty cheese may be used in this salad. Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano are delicious choices.
- Feel free to sub Parmesan cheese for any variety of salty cheese such as feta, goat cheese, or fresh mozzarella are an option.
Can This Salad Be Made Ahead?
Yes! This salad is served cold and can be made the day ahead.
- Simply prepare according to instructions, place in an airtight container, and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- You can omit the almonds and Parmesan cheese if making ahead and then add them when ready to serve. This will allow the almonds to stay crunchy.
- Keep in mind that the salad will lose some of it's crunchy texture the longer it sits in the fridge.
This dish is perfect for a BBQ, potluck, or picnic. It's delicious with all kinds of grilled meats like burgers or chicken in addition to grilled veggies like zucchini or eggplant.
I love it with healthy grilled dishes like this Italian pesto grilled chicken sandwich, grilled bruschetta chicken, or BBQ Sweet Potatoes.
The green beans are hearty enough to stand up to grilled burgers like this blue cheese burger, Juicy Lucy, or jalapeno sauce burger.
It's also great with this grilled chuck steak, grilled ribeye, or Steak Diane.
Looking for more salads? Check out these recipes!
- Grilled Corn Feta Salad
- Balsamic Pickled Beet Salad
- Marinated Tomato Salad
- Smoked Salmon Arugula Quinoa Salad
- Classic Coleslaw
- Grilled Vegetable Salad
- Quinoa Arugula Salad
How Long Does It Last In The Fridge?
This salad should last 3-4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
It may need to be stirred after storage in order to re-distribute the dressing properly.
Can It Be Frozen?
I would not recommend freezing this salad as it is best enjoyed fresh, or within a few days.
Love green beans? Check out these recipes!
Looking For More Green Bean Recipes? Don't Miss These!
Roasted Balsamic Green Beans
Creole Green Beans
Keto Green Beans
Italian Green Bean Salad
Ingredients
For The Salad:
- 1 lb. fresh green beans washed and trimmed
- 1 pint grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup slivered almonds or sliced almonds
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
For The Vinaigrette:
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- fresh herbs for garnish optional
Instructions
For The Salad:
- Wash and trim 1 lb. of fresh green beans. To trim them simply remove both ends of the beans with a knife and discard. Once the beans are trimmed cut them into halves or thirds (depending on what size beans you prefer in your salad).
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling carefully place the trimmed beans into the pot and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Fill a large bowl with ice water. Using a Spider strainer or metal slotted spoon transfer the green beans to a prepared bowl of ice water. Allow the beans to cool in the ice bath.
- Once cooled, drain the beans completely in a colander.
- To prepare the tomatoes wash them and cut them into halves or quarters (depending on what size you prefer). Once the beans are drained place them in a large mixing bowl along with the chopped cherry tomatoes.
For The Vinaigrette:
- Finely mince 2 cloves of garlic.
- Add ¼ cup olive oil, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, the minced garlic, and ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper to a small mixing bowl. Stir all of the ingredients until completely combined using a small whisk or fork.
- Pour a bit of the vinaigrette into the salad at a time, carefully mixing it into the vegetables with a large spoon. Continue to do so until all of the dressing is tossed in with the salad.Alternately, you can add as much or as little of the dressing as you like to the salad and save the rest for another salad. Any leftover salad dressing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Add ½ cup of slivered (or sliced) almonds to the salad along with ⅓ cup of shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Carefully mix all of the ingredients until completely combined and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh basil or herb of choice (optional).
- To Serve: Enjoy right away or store the salad in the fridge for 1-2 hour and allow to marinate.
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