Mediterranean Green Bean Salad

Green beans in a large white bowl with sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and walnuts.

4.84 from 6 votes

Mediterranean Green Bean Salad

You'll never look at green beans again without thinking of this spectacular Mediterranean style green bean salad. There's nothing ho-hum about this salad!

Prep Time20

Cook Time5

Total Time25

Course: Salads

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings:

Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

Salad

16 ounces green beans (see note)
½ cup kalamata olives, sliced in half
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
⅓ cup toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Dressing

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Fill a large bowl with cold water and a few scoops of ice, set aside.
Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tender but still crisp. If you prefer more tender beans, cook them a few minutes longer. Drain the beans, then Immediately plunge them into the ice water bath. Allow the beans to chill for 5 minutes, drain well and pat dry.
16 ounces green beans
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the dressing ingredients: olive oil, garlic, oregano, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Arrange the green beans on a serving platter. Drizzle with the dressing, then top with the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, and lemon zest. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve (see note).
½ cup kalamata olives, sliced in half, ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, ⅓ cup toasted walnuts, 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Notes

Green beans: The best choice for this salad are pencil thin, small green beans (French: haricot verts). If available, I often use a mixture of yellow wax beans and green beans. If the beans are larger, cook them a bit longer until they reach the desired tenderness.
Recipe variations: I like to add sliced or halved small tomatoes to the platter with the green beans before drizzling with vinaigrette. If you like, omit the walnuts, or replace with pistachios or toasted almonds. The salad could be topped with crumbled feta cheese or shaved Parmesan. If you don't like olives, skip them, or substitute capers.
Storage: The salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. If you're not serving the salad right away, store the walnuts separately so they don't get soggy. Be aware that the marinated beans will discolor slightly because of the vinegar but that won't affect the flavor.
Get a head start: Blanch the green beans, arrange them on a platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to one day or overnight. Prepare vinaigrette and refrigerate. Toast walnuts, cool completely, and store in covered container.

Nutrition

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