Marinated Green Bean Salad

Make-ahead, marinated Green Bean Salad is an easy side dish recipe perfect for summer! Simply toss green beans, tomatoes, and red onions with a balsamic vinaigrette and serve cold with blue or feta cheese.

Easy Make-Ahead Green Bean Salad Recipe

This recipe sings with perfectly balanced simple ingredients to make a cold summer salad that absolutely shines!

Every year my home garden produces fresh snap beans and plenty of tomatoes. (Seriously. It gets a little nutty.)

I rely on an arsenal of recipes like this cold bean salad, Bacon Roasted Green Beans, Grilled Zucchini, and Roasted Cream of Tomato Soup to use up all those summer veggies.

This dish always yields recipe requests when I bring it to parties. It’s my go-to choice because it takes minutes to prepare, it marinates ahead of time, and it’s a gluten free side dish to offer.

Fresh and bright tomatoes, beans, and red onions compliments the acidity of balsamic vinaigrette and tang of blue or feta cheese. The dressing ingredients are kitchen staples, but the vibrancy comes out when the flavors are left to marinate.

How To Make Marinated Green Bean Salad

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

1. Boil string beans for 3-5 minutes and drain. Immediately blanch beans in a large bowl of ice water. (More notes about blanching below). Drain and transfer to a bowl.
2. Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients – olive oil, balsamic, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and dijon mustard.
3. Gently stir beans with the dressing and onions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to marinate.
4. Before serving add tomatoes and cheese. Gently toss to combine. 

Additions and Substitutions

• For a bit of crunch add toasted nuts, such as pecans, almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts
• Before serving add 4 slices of crisp, crumbled bacon (Personally this is my favorite addition!)
• Dried cranberries add a nice touch of sweetness
• Omit the tomatoes and substitute cubed cooked red potatoes instead
• Choose your favorite cheese (feta, goat cheese, freshly shaved parmesan, or blue cheese) or leave out all together
• Leave out the tomatoes and toss beans and onions with chopped hard boiled eggs
• Substitute white wine vinegar for the balsamic
• Add minced herbs, such fresh basil, tarragon, oregano, parsley, or chives

Blanching Green Beans

Blanching stops the cooking process. If hot beans are left in the colander to cool, the residual heat will continue to cook them and you will be left with limp, dull-colored veggies.

Shocking the beans in cold water stops the cooking process and helps keep them bright and vibrant.

While the green beans are cooking fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain the cooked beans and submerge, or blanch, in the ice water.

The beans only need to be submerged in ice water for a few seconds, or until they are chilled. They can then be drained and patted dry, if necessary.

Blanching is helpful with other vegetables that tend to overcook, like broccoli or asparagus. It also helps them maintain their bright green color.

Make-Ahead Tips

Making this green bean side ahead time tastes even better! The dressing ingredients are simple, but they develop better flavor and complexity as they sit and meld. 

After the beans are done cooking whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients – balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

Mix the dressing with the green beans and red onions. Cover and refrigerate for a couple hours. Then, before serving add the tomatoes and cheese. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa