Crisp green beans tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkled with sharp parmesan and crunchy almonds–this green bean salad is absolutely to die for! And is so easy to make. Here’s everything you need to know on how to make this show stopping cold green bean salad.
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Ingredients for This Cold Green Bean Salad
The most important ingredient are beautifully green and crisp beans–the rest are our family’s favorite additions. Here’s what to collect and a few important notes before you start shopping:
- Green beans – You want fresh green beans that are vibrantly green–test them by bending, they should snap, not bend (as though they’re rubbery).
- The dressing is made of red wine vinegar, dijon, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Simple yet incredible.
- A few more veggies – shallots and cherry tomatoes add a vibrant pop of color while rounding out the flavor.
- Everything else – grated parmesan, fresh basil, and toasted/slivered almonds, please!
Swaps and Substitutions
Although we absolutely love this green bean salad with almonds as is, it’s easy to tweak to your liking. Here are a few ways to do so:
- Swap the dressing, you can literally use anything you prefer here–think ranch dressing or your favorite vinaigrette.
- Add more veggies, any of your salad faves would be great.
- Try a different cheese, feta is another classic.
How to Make Cold Green Bean Salad
It’s super easy to make this gorgeous green bean salad recipe, the only trick is getting the green beans cooked just right (overcooking them will ruin the dish!). Here are my tips for perfection:
- Blanch the green beans, and cook only until they turn vibrantly green and they’re slightly soft. Then transfer immediately to an ice bath (this stops them from cooking any further).
- Mix together the dressing.
- Toss everything together in a bowl and enjoy!
Storing This Salad
Store leftover green bean salad with almonds in the fridge in an airtight container–we enjoy this salad most while it’s fresh, as the green beans are snappiest at this point. After being stored in the fridge for a day or two, they’ll start to soften. I don’t recommend freezing this green bean salad recipe.
See how to make this Green Bean Salad on TikTok.
More Salad Recipes
Green Bean Salad
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound green beans cut into 2-3″ pieces
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- teaspoon Kosher Salt
- teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1/4 cup shallots thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup basil sliced
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Drop green beans in the boiling water, and blanch for 3-5 minutes–you'll know they're done once their color becomes more vibrant and they've softened slightly. Transfer immediately to the ice bath, then drain the water and allow them to dry completely.
- Meanwhile make the dressing by whisking together the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Place the green beans, tomatoes, shallots, and parmesan in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle with basil and almonds before serving, and enjoy!
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