GREEN BEAN AND TOMATO SALAD

Using Red onion another day: These green beans were not the bright green beans that I used before; however, the salad was just as good, and I preferred it when the green beans were cut shorter.

GREEN BEAN AND TOMATO SALAD

Fabulous! I am in love with this salad! It is marinated in a delicious dressing that is slightly sweet and sour. The combination of cooked French green beans, fresh, raw tomatoes and onions are just perfect. I used chopped Roma tomatoes; however, you can use cherry tomatoes, halved, for a prettier look. I used regular white onions; however shallots or red onions would be even better. To be honest, I loved the salad just the way I made it, so much so, that 2 days later I was making it again, and have plans to make it in a week’s time for company coming! My husband also could not get enough of this salad! He was the one who suggested I make the salad, as we got the idea from a vlogger in Italy who we like watching sometimes. I have no idea if this salad mimics hers or not, but we simply loved it! Green beans make a wonderful, colorful side dish. They are low in sodium, so adding salt, to taste, is all that is needed to make them even more flavorful.

Some fun facts about Green beans:

Green beans contain a lot of vitamin K and moderate amounts of calcium, both of which are good for maintaining healthy and strong bones. It contains folate, very important during pregnancy to prevent spina bifida, but this B vitamin also reduces depression.

People all over the world enjoy eating green beans. They are well-known for their ability to cut down on the risk of some kinds of cancer. They also boost vision and lower the risk of heart disease. They contain lutein and zeaxanthin.

Look for green beans that have a bright green color (taste best!) and are not too thick (with bigger seeds); yellowish green, thicker green beans are a no-no. They must have tight green skin and not be wrinkly. If the pods snap when bent, this means they are ripe. The long skinny kind are called French Green beans and they are the best to use in this Green Bean and Tomato Salad. String beans can be very annoying as one has to remove the strings; however, they are also not the ideal green bean to use in this salad.

I cook these green beans for a short while as cooking gets rid of the toxins in the green bean seeds. They are pretty safe to eat either way, but cooking destroys any toxins. I like the green beans to be softer in this salad; not too crunchy! So, cooking for about 6 minutes in boiling water is just perfect for this salad.

You can store unwashed fresh green bean pods in a plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper. They will stay fresh for about seven days.

You can freeze your green beans, but first steam them for 2 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then transfer to freezer bags and place in the freezer.

The usual production of snap green beans in the USA each year is almost 800,000 tons, with the state of Wisconsin growing close to 300,000 tons alone! Hahaha, so much for being the cheese state!

Since green beans are so easy to grow under the right conditions, it is the third most popular vegetable grown in backyard gardens, after tomatoes and peppers.

Some tips for your Green Bean and Tomato Salad:

To precook the green beans, place in a large pot of salted, boiling water. Boil about 10 minutes for very tender green beans. After cooking, drain and place in a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Green beans are happily low in carbohydrates. Cooking in light-tasting olive or butter is preferable.

I love to garnish this salad with walnuts, but if you are not a fan, give them a skip and try crumbled feta cheese or Cheddar or Mozzarella chunks Pine nuts are another idea.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb skinny French green beans, cut into short strips (0.45 kg)

(dark green, not light green with big seeds)

2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes, OR (500 mL)

Cherry tomatoes, halved

1 red onion, chopped, OR use shallots

Marinade Dressing:

¹/₄cup olive oil (60 ml)

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (30 mL)

1¹/₂tsp salt (7 mL)

1 tsp mustard (5 mL)

¹/₄tsp black pepper (1 mL)

Garnish (optional):

Chopped walnuts

Feta cheese, crumbled

INSTRUCTIONS:

In large pot in boiling, salted water, cook green beans about 10 minutes or until very tender. Drain and submerge in ice cold water for 5 minutes. Drain again.

In large bowl, combine prepared green beans, Roma or cherry tomatoes and red onions or shallots.

Marinade Dressing: In small bowl, whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, mustard and black pepper until very well combined. Pour over green bean salad and toss to combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let the salad marinate for several hours and preferably overnight.

Before serving, if desired, sprinkle with chopped walnuts or Feta cheese, or serve these optional toppings on the side.

Yield: 8 servings

1 serving

97.1 calories

1.7 g protein

7.1 g fat

1.9 g fiber

6.4 g net carbs

MORE FUN SALAD RECIPES:

Beet Pickles

Chicken Avocado Salad

Caesar Salad with Creamy Caesar Dressing (no raw eggs)