Crisp tender, bright green beans get tossed along with crunchy toasted almonds in a simple smoked paprika balsamic dressing with creamy, salty feta for a flavor-packed simple side. We’re blanching our green beans (cooking them quickly in boiling water, then transferring them to an ice bath or cold water) to get them perfectly cooked (tender, but crispy) and bright green.
Ingredient highlight
Green beans! Are high in vitamin C (one cup has 25% of your daily vitamin C needs) and a good source of fiber, calcium, iron, and magnesium. Be sure to buy them organic, as they are among the pesticide-heavy veggies.
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 3 minutes Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans, trimmed
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup toasted almonds or pistachios, chopped
- Fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, or basil) (optional)
- Lemon wedges
- Note: this salad pairs great with this week's Spice Rubbed Salmon recipe. You could also serve it over a bed of quinoa (see “leftovers and repurposing” notes)
Instructions
- Bring about 3 quarts of water to a boil and salt very generously (about 2 tablespoons). Add green beans and boil for 3 minutes, or until just tender but not mushy. Use tongs (or drain in a colander) and transfer to a bowl filled with ice water. Alternatively, drain them and submerge them in cold water in your sink. This stops the cooking process so they don’t get mushy (see video).
- In a large bowl, add the oil, vinegar, paprika, salt, pepper, and feta. Whisk to combine. Add green beans and half of the nuts to the bowl and toss to coat. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.
- Transfer to a platter or your plate, making sure to get all of the dressing, nuts, and cheese that fell to the bottom of the bowl. Top with remaining nuts, fresh herbs (if using), and a squeeze of lemon.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Trim green beans
- Blanch green beans
- Toast ¼ cup nuts
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, skip the cheese entirely and add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt.
- If you don’t have smoked paprika, you can leave it out and it will still be yummy.
- I tested this recipe without fresh herbs, but a sprinkling of herbs could only make things better!
- You could also make this recipe with blanched broccoli or asparagus.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Enjoy this salad chilled or at room temp.
- Eat it on top of some quinoa topped with lots of herbs, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.
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