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This Cold Green Bean Salad is the perfect summer side dish for any barbecue or picnic. Each bite is filled with crisp green beans, creamy avocado, sweet grapes and savory blue cheese. With a variety of textures, it’s unlike any other green bean salad out there! A total show-stopper.
Something I learned during my time as an Assistant Food Editor at Cuisine at Home Magazine is that home cooks are always on the lookout for new side dish recipes. As a result, I’ve developed hundreds of side dish recipes for any season and any occasion.
And this Cold Green Bean Salad happens to be a recipe I developed for Cuisine at Home Magazine. It’s a bright, multi-textured salad that’s perfect for summer. Most of the components can be prepped ahead of time and it travels well. Checking all the boxes!
Lauren’s Tip
Blanching the green beans is key to the crunchy texture. This is a technique you learn in culinary school and it’s a key step in this salad. You’ll want to cook the green beans until they are bright in color and crisp-tender in texture. Then immediately remove them from the boiling water and place them in ice water to stop the cooking.
Want to master the technique? I’ve got a whole article on how to blanch green beans.
Ingredients
Find the full recipe with ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Red wine vinegar: the base of the vinaigrette. You’ll need 2 tablespoons.
- Olive oil: use a good quality and flavorful extra-virgin olive oil.
- Lemon juice: additional acid that also adds freshness to vinaigrette.
- Chives: a handful of fresh chives add some brightness to the salad. Parsley would also be delicious here.
- Whole-grain mustard: We love the pops of texture that whole grain mustard adds to the salad. Stone ground mustard is also delicious in this recipe, as is Dijon. If you opt for Dijon, use 1 ½ teaspoons instead of two.
- Honey: you’ll need just a dash of honey to balance out the vinaigrette. You can also use sugar or maple syrup.
- Green beans: haricot verts or regular green beans will work here. Whatever looks best at the market!
- Grapes: I like to use red grapes in this salad because they are sweet and add a bit of color. Green grapes will also work. And if you’ve got leftovers, make a Fruit Salad!
- Avocado: you’ll need just one avocado for this recipe. Cut into large chunks, it adds a lovely creaminess to the salad.
- Blue Cheese: a couple ounces of crumbled blue cheese adds punch of funk and savoriness. If you aren’t fond of blue cheese, you can use crumbed fresh goat cheese (chevre) or feta.
How to Make a Great Green Bean Salad
This is a brief rundown of how to make the salad. For the full recipe, with amounts and timings, jump to the recipe below.
- Blanch the green beans by cooking the green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes. Immediately transfer the beans, using a spider or slotted spoon, to a large bowl filled with ice water. Let them cool completely before draining and drying well.
Blanching is the perfect par-cooking method turns raw green beans into the perfect crisp-tender texture. It also allows you the freedom to cook them as little or as much as you like.
- Make the vinaigrette. It’s simple but contains all of the necessary components. In a large bowl—big enough to toss the salad—whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, chives, whole grain mustard and honey. Give it a taste and season as needed with salt and pepper.
- Toss salad together; add the blanched green beans and grapes to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Toss to coat and season again with salt and pepper to taste.
- Finish and serve. Transfer the salad to a serving platter or bowl and top with the avocado and blue cheese. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Add the avocado and blue cheese right before serving. You’ll want to top the salad with these when you’re ready to enjoy so their textures and flavors stay as fresh as possible!
- Trim the ends of the green beans before cooking. The ends are wiring and unappetizing, so just use kitchen scissors for easy removal.
- Make sure you dry the green beans well after blanching. If they are wet, the dressing won’t stick as well and the salad will not be as flavorful.
- Customize the salad with fresh herbs and other ingredients. We also love dill, parsley, and scallions in this green bean dish. You can swap the blue cheese for goat cheese or feta as well.
What to Serve with Green Bean Salad
- This salad is the perfect summer side dish for a main course like Chicken Souvlaki or Shrimp Burgers.
- For a simple and fast weeknight meal, simply top this salad with canned smoked trout, salmon, or Broiled Salmon.
- Steak is also the perfect protein pairing with the green beans and blue cheese. I like a nice Ribeye or Top Sirloin.
Storage & Make Ahead
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. We don’t recommend freezing this salad as it will change the texture and make it mushy.
To make this green bean salad in advance, the green beans, grapes and vinaigrette can all be prepped a day ahead of time. Wait to toss the salad together and top with avocado and blue cheese when you’re ready to serve.
Using Leftover Green Beans
We always seem to have extra when we buy them from the store. Our other favorite recipe is our Roasted Green Beans with large shreds of Parm, a lovely white balsamic vinaigrette, toasted pine nuts and some fresh basil.
For another similar take on a green bean salad as well as a potato salad, Green Beans and Potatoes is full of tangy flavors and textures.
Enjoy the flavors of green bean casserole in a Green Bean Casserole Salad. It’s loaded up with crisp croutons, fried shallots and golden brown mushrooms.
FAQs
You cooked them for too long in boiling water. You should only boil them for a couple of minutes until they are bright green and crisp-tender in texture. Stop the cooking process by transferring them to ice water to cool.
We love something tangy like a vinaigrette with vinegar, mustard and olive oil. A creamy dressing is also delicious using Greek yogurt or mayonnaise.
Yes, many green bean salads are made this way, but we love cooking the beans just a little bit for a more pleasant bite.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
Cold Green Bean Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed, and bias-sliced
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- 2 teaspoons whole-grain or stone ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 cup halved seedless red grapes
- 1 large avocado, cubed
- 2 ounces (½ cup) crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl.
- Heavily season water with kosher salt (at least a tablespoon). Drop 1 pound green beans into boiling water and cook until crisp-tender and vibrant in color, about 3 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon or spider, immediately transfer green beans to ice water bath and let cool completely.
- Whisk together 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chives, 2 teaspoons mustard, and 1 teaspoon honey for the vinaigrette; season with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Drain beans and dry well (either in salad spinner or with paper towels).
- Toss green beans and 1 cup grapes with vinaigrette; season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Transfer salad to a serving bowl or platter and top with 1 cubed avocado and 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese.
Notes
- Add the avocado and blue cheese right before serving. You’ll want to top the salad with these when you’re ready to enjoy so their textures and flavors stay as fresh as possible!
- Trim the ends of the green beans before cooking. The ends are wiring and unappetizing, so just use kitchen scissors for easy removal.
- Make sure you dry the green beans well after blanching. If they are wet, the dressing won’t stick as well and the salad will not be as flavorful.
- Customize the salad with fresh herbs and other ingredients. We also love dill, parsley, and scallions in this green bean dish. You can swap the blue cheese for goat cheese or feta as well.
