Marinated Green Bean Salad helps Lighten the Menu

This marinated green bean salad is a light and delicious side dish that you make-ahead. Serve this healthy vegetable side dish for holidays or potluck parties. It’s a terrific addition to any of you summer entertaining ideas too! 

These marinated green beans are full of flavor and look beautiful on the table

When hosting a dinner party or holiday meal for Easter entertaining or a Friendsgiving Thanksgving celebration, it’s a good idea to incorporate something light into the menu. This green bean salad is one of the recipes I reach for time and time again.

First of all it has to be made ahead so it takes all the stress out of last minute preparation. It’s stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve so no last minute cooking or re-heating required. You know how the oven is prime real estate on holidays! 

Secondly, these marinated green beans add much needed fiber and nutrients to holiday meals that are usually full of indulgent carbs. Even thought I LIVE for those indulgences like creamy mac n’ cheese and sweet potato casserole! I still like to think I’m getting a balanced diet as well.

Finally, with all the vegans, vegetarians, paleos, and diabetics out there, this is a fantastic side dish to serve for special diets. And there’s no lack of flavor for it. This melange of colorful veggies looks beautiful on the table.

This green bean salad is a fantastic alternative to serve beside heavier items on holiday menus.

This is a great side item for holidays but it’s also an excellent dish to take to potluck parties or summer cookouts. 

You may see the raw onion in this recipe and think, “I don’t want onion breath.” Don’t worry, the marinating process takes the bite and smell out of the onions. The melange of crisp colorful veggies looks so pretty on the table.

Marinated Green Bean Salad recipe

Yield: about 10 servings

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Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh green beans
• 1 red pepper, cut julienne
• 1 yellow pepper, cut julienne
• 1/2 onion, cut julienne

Marinade

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Blanch the green beans by putting them into boiling water for about 3-5 minutes or until bright green and cooked, but still crisp. Remove green beans and pat dry.
2. Mix all the vegetables together and lay them in a shallow dish or platter.
3. Combine the marinade ingredients and whisk them together until completely mixed.
4. Pour marinade over vegetables, cover dish with foil, and refrigerate for 2 – 4 hours.