Green Bean Salad
Updated Apr 20, 2025
This simple, fresh green bean salad recipe can be made ahead of time with little prep. It's tossed in a homemade honey mustard dressing.
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My Green Bean Salad is So Good!
When people tell me they only eat Green Bean Salad around Thanksgiving, I’m always shocked because I love it all year round! My green bean salad recipe is ready in 15 minutes, making it one of the fastest side dishes I can pull together.
I cook the beans until just tender, then toss them in a homemade honey mustard dressing with toasted pecans and shaved Parmesan.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Green Bean Salad Ingredients
- Green beans: If you’re buying fresh green beans, look for slender, firm beans that are bright green in color. Avoid any that are limp or have dark brown spots. You can also use frozen green beans. There’s no need to defrost them, but they’ll take a bit longer to cook.
- Pecans: I like pecans, but you can also use other nuts like almonds or walnuts. Toast the pecans for added flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: I love the saltiness that fresh shaved Parmesan adds to this salad. Other cheeses like feta, blue cheese or goat cheese would also be great!
- Shallot: This is my go-to for salad dressings, but any onion (sweet, white or yellow) would also work. For help with shallots check out my tutorial on how to cut them.
- Lemon juice and zest: I always recommend using fresh-squeezed juice and lemon zest for the best flavor.
- Dijon mustard: If you don’t have Dijon, yellow or stone-ground mustard are good substitutes.
- Honey: Use your favorite honey, or swap it out for another natural sweetener like maple syrup or agave.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I like the flavor of olive oil, but you can use any neutral-tasting oil.
- Salt and pepper: I keep the seasonings simple for the dressing since it already has so much flavor!
Popular Additions
- Add more veggies. Toss in ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes, boiled baby potatoes, roasted red peppers, or sliced red onions.
- Give it a protein boost. Add sliced hard-boiled eggs or cannellini beans for some extra protein.
- Change up the dressing. Instead of the honey mustard dressing, you can use a Greek salad dressing, balsamic vinaigrette or any other dressing you prefer.
- Nut-free crunch. If you have to avoid nut because of allergies, you can still give the salad some crunch with fried shallots or toasted panko breadcrumbs.
How to Make Green Bean Salad
Toss the beans with the dressing and top with the pecans and Parmesan to serve.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the green beans. They should be fork-tender but still have a bite to them. Once cooked, place into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and keep the bright green color.
- Cook the beans in heavily salted water. Cooking vegetables in salted water minimizes the nutrient loss during cooking as well as improves the flavor.
- Toast the pecans. Toasting the pecans or other nuts you may like to use releases their natural oils and makes the salad more flavorful. You can toast them quickly on a skillet or in the oven or buy them roasted.
- Use a blender for a smoother dressing. If you chop the shallots finely, the dressing won’t be chunky, but for an ultra smooth consistency, you can make the honey mustard dressing in a blender.
Serving Ideas
- Grilled Lemon Chicken
- Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Honey Lemon Salmon
- Lemon Parsley Baked Cod
- Garlic Butter Steak Bites
More Salad Recipes:
- Quinoa Avocado Salad
- Nicoise Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower Salad
- Smashed Cucumber Salad
- Corn Tomato Avocado Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Avocado Blueberry Salad
- Tuna Avocado Salad
- Mediterranean Potato Salad
If you try this Green Bean Salad recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Green Bean Salad Recipe
This simple, fresh green bean salad recipe can be made ahead of time with little prep. It's tossed in a homemade honey mustard dressing.
Ingredients
For the Green Beans
- 1 pound fresh green beans trimmed
- ½ cup chopped pecans chopped
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
For the Dressing
- ½ shallot minced
- 1 large lemon zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water.
- Blanch the green beans. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the green beans and cook until slightly softened and bright green, 3-4 minutes. Use a strainer to transfer the beans to the ice bath. Let them chill for 5 minutes. Strain and pat the beans dry with a paper towel.
- Make the dressing. In a medium bowl, mix shallot, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon, and honey. Slowly stream in oil while whisking until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, toss beans with dressing. Top with the pecans and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
Storage: This salad will keep well covered in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 345kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 19g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 230mg, Potassium: 352mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 894IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 208mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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Comments
I made this the other day i can say I really enjoyed it . The dressing was good but a little to tart so I think I will make it with less lemon juice next time Very refreshing salad for the summer .
That’s so great! Definitely taste and adjust as you go!
Sounds wonderful. Do you have any suggestions for replacing the mustard? I absolutely detest the slightest taste of mustard! Love your recipes!
Thank you! I haven’t tried it with a mustard alternative, but you could try omitting it or even replacing it with mayonnaise?
Excellent
Thank you!