This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This fresh green bean salad is the perfect side dish to enjoy this summer. Tossed in a tangy and sweet lemon, honey and mustard dressing and served with pecans and parmesan for an easy summer side. It’s the perfect accompaniment to all of your favorite mains.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Green beans: Trim the ends off of the green beans before blanching in hot water and placing them in an ice bath to keep them nice and green and crisp.
- Pecans: Pecans add a great texture to this bean salad. You can also use other nuts like almonds or walnuts.
- Parmesan cheese: Shaved parmesan adds a nice saltiness, and parmesan on anything is never a bad idea! You could also make this with other cheeses like feta, blue cheese or goa cheese.
- Dressing: The fresh and zingy dressing of this green bean salad is made with minced shallots, lemon juice and zest, dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
How to make green bean salad
blanch the green beans
- Cook the beans in salted boiling water until tender and then drain.
- Place in an ice bath immediately to stop the cooking.
make the dressing
- Add the ingredients for the dressing to a bowl.
- Whisk until combined and emulsified.
Toss the beans with the dressing and top with the pecans and parmesan to serve.
Tips for making the recipe
- Don’t over the cook the green beans. They should be fork tender but still have a bite to them. Once cooked, place them in to an ice bath to stop the cooking process and keep them bright green in color.
- Cook the beans in heavily salted water. Cooking vegetables in salted water minimizes the nutrient loss during cooking as well as improving 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.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, this green bean salad can be tossed in the dressing and made ahead of time. Keep it covered in the fridge to keep it fresh for 2 to 3 days.
You can use either frozen or fresh green beans for this dish. If you use frozen, don’t defrost them, just add the straight to the boiling water. They will take a couple of minutes longer to cook through.
This green bean salad is a great summer side dish and works well paired with meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes. Try it with:
Grilled Lemon Chicken
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Honey Lemon Salmon
Lemon Parsley Baked Cod
This green bean salad is a great last minute summer side dish and it’s perfect for picnics and cookouts. Quick to make with simple ingredients, but loaded with texture and bright flavors.
More great salads to try:
- Quinoa Avocado Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Avocado Blueberry Salad
- Tuna Avocado Salad
- Mediterranean Potato Salad
If you try this healthy-ish feel good Green Bean Salad recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We 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!
preorder MY book
The Feel Good Foodie Cookbook is now available everywhere books are sold!
Amazon Barnes & Noble Books A Million Hudson Booksellers BookshopSCHULER Books (SIGNED)
Green Bean Salad
Ingredients
For the Green Beans
- 1 pound fresh green beans trimmed
- ½ cup 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
- freshly cracked 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.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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!