Green bean salads are one of the most versatile side dishes you can create. They’re just as popular on holiday buffets as they are in casual weekday summer meals, and you can add all kinds of ingredients to act as flavorful variations on this quintessential garden side.
Below you’ll find a list of some of the best green bean salads to try at your next family get-together. Whether you’re trying to eat more vegetables daily or you want to shake up your sides, these green bean salads recipes are the perfect place to start.
10 Green Bean Salad Recipes to Shake Up Your Dinner Table
1. Mom’s Green Bean Salad
If you’re going to make a green bean salad, why not start with a tried-and-true recipe straight from Mom herself? Mom’s Green Bean Salad at Served From Scratch is a great basic two-bean salad recipe. Seasoned with dijon mustard, vinegar, onions, and parsley, this green bean salad incorporates kidney beans for some bright spots of color and a heavier texture. You can even create this green bean salad out of canned beans so that it comes together faster.
2. Italian Green Bean Salad
Italian green bean salad is one of the most popular green bean salad recipes because this region of Europe is known for its bright, crunchy green beans. This green bean salad from On the Bias can be used as a substitute for regular lettuce-based garden salads for added nutrition. It can also serve as a cold side dish for Italian entrees like lasagna or chicken parmesan. This tangy salad includes green beans, red onion, and toasted walnuts that are all tossed in a red wine vinaigrette dressing.
3. Balsamic Green Bean Salad with Tomatoes
This recipe at The Rustic Foodie is another variation on the traditional Italian green bean salad, and this version uses balsamic vinegar rather than red wine vinegar. It also includes other great ingredients such as fresh cherry tomatoes, slivered almonds, and Parmesan cheese. Unlike other green bean salads, which can be created easily with canned green beans too, this recipe is recommended for fresh beans only. This salad should be garnished with fresh herbs such as basil and marinated for at least an hour or two in the fridge before serving.
4. Green Bean and Couscous Salad
If you’re looking for a slightly different take on green bean salad, this salad with couscous over at Especially Vegan UK is great for bringing a little Mediterranean flair to your next barbeque or family gathering. Paired with crunchy green lettuce and toasted sesame seeds, this salad has tons of flavor and texture to please even the pickiest eater. Another advantage of this recipe is that it’s vegan. That makes it a hearty offering for any vegans and vegetarians in your home.
5. Green Beans with Almonds and Pomegranate Seeds
One of the best things about green bean salad as a side dish is that it can be changed up with many different secondary ingredients and dressings to swap out the flavors and textures in the salad for different meals. Another advantage of this green bean recipe from Flax and Sugar is that it only incorporates ten ingredients. The most luxurious ingredient in this salad is probably the jewel-like pomegranate seeds.
6. Asian Green Bean Salad
Along with Italian variations on the green bean salad, another popular version of green bean salad that appears on dinner menus around the world is Asian green bean salad. While Italian green bean salads tend to be dressed with vinaigrette dressings that involve balsamic or red wine vinegar, Asian green bean salads use Asian ingredients instead such as sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and toasted sesame seeds. Check out this version of Asian green bean salad over at Jam Jar Kitchen for a great basic Asian green bean recipe.
7. Mushroom and Green Bean Salad
This green bean salad is quite different from any other green bean salad in this recipe round-up. Rather than using a vinegar-based dressing, this green bean salad at Me Cooks takes inspiration from egg salads and potato salads by incorporating a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing instead. Other ingredients include feta cheese, hard-boiled eggs, scallions, and chopped mushrooms.
8. Sicilian Green Bean Salad
While we already have one version of Italian green bean salad on this list, this Sicilian-Italian recipe from the Italian food blog Mangia Bedda is slightly different since it’s a more authentic and less Americanized version of the classic summer dish. This Italian green bean salad includes ingredients such as dried red chilies for spice, dried oregano, and fresh chopped parsley. This gives it a unique and satisfying flavor to pair with any Italian entree.
9. Ultimate Green Bean Salad with Hazelnuts
If you’re looking for a luxe version of the traditional green bean salad, look no further than this recipe at Salad with Anastasia. This salad includes rich buttery hazelnuts and citrus flavors to create a dish that is great for your holiday table or just to treat your family during the week. While the original recipe is created with snap beans, the combination of flavors included is great for any type of other beans too, such as snow peas or Chinese long beans.
10. Green Bean and Quinoa Salad
Incorporating healthy grains into your diet can be a hassle, but this green bean salad from Six Hungry Feet pulls it off by incorporating quinoa into a simple summer salad with green beans, roasted chickpeas, and roasted beetroot. The salad also features a very basic honey mustard vinaigrette that is easy to adjust for individual tastes. If you need a healthy and hearty salad that you can also make to use up some of the leftover produce in your garden or CSA box, this green bean salad is perfect for the job.
Green bean salads are a common sight at family get-togethers. But you don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving or the Fourth of July to pull out one of these delicious salads. With this many recipes to try, you can have green beans once a week and never get tired of it!
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