This fresh and flavorful lemony feta green bean salad is an easy addition to any warm weather meal.
Some days all you want is a salad. When it’s hot and sticky outside a salad sounds just right.
Green bean salads are one of my favorites to make around this time of year. I’ll cook up a big batch of green beans once and then throw them into salads all week. This lemony feta green bean salad is one I make quite often; it’s crunchy, nutty, salty and bright with both lemon juice and zest.
How to blanch green beans:
Blanching greens beans is easy. Simply set a large pot of salted water to a boil then throw in your greens beans and cook until they turn bright green. Don’t stray too far while they’re on the stove so as not to overcook them (we’re talking 1-2 minutes here). Once they are tender strain them and plunge them into an ice bath to preserve their bright green color and toothsome snappiness.
How to make the green bean salad:
Once you've blanched your green beans, all that’s left is a bit of chopping and whisking.
I like to slice the green beans into fairly small pieces so that each bite is loaded with flavor, like a chopped salad of sorts. Each forkful holds a mix of tender green beans, salty feta, fresh parsley, sweet figs and zesty lemons.
Gather up some juicy figs, salty feta, fresh parsley and toasted almonds and chop those up.
The dressing is a sweet/tart honey lemon vinaigrette, but what really steps the flavor up are the thin strips of lemon zest scattered throughout the salad. The zing of citrus keeps the salad light and refreshing.
More green bean salads:
Feta Green Bean Salad
This fresh and flavorful lemony feta green bean salad is an easy addition to any warm weather meal.
Ingredients
- 1lb/450g green beans, trimmed and cut into small pieces
- 1 ½ Tablespoons/22ml fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ Tablespoons/30ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon/5ml raw honey
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛th teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Strips of lemon zest from one small or half a large lemon (use a peeler to make strips), cut into thin slivers
- ½ cup, roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
- 4 oz/113g feta cheese, (preferably sheep’s milk) cut into chunks
- 4-6 fresh figs, cut into large chunks
- ⅓ cup/37g almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
- 3 Tablespoons/30g shelled hemp seeds
Instructions
- Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for 1-2 minutes (until just tender), then strain and plunge the beans into the ice water. Gently pat dry between two clean kitchen towels and set aside while making the dressing.
- In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Add the green beans to bowl and toss.
- Add the chopped parsley, feta cheese, figs, toasted almonds, and hemp seeds and gently toss to combine. Season to taste and serve.
Notes
(For Paleo omit feta)
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 388mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 6gSugar: 18gProtein: 8g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Sarah says
I had some figs and searched for a lunch salad, and when I came across this one, gave it a go. The flavour combination was delicious, and the preparation instructions were great. I have some fresh parsley in my herb pot, so this felt truly like a taste of spring. It was filling enough to be my main.