We all have our go-to ways of preparing vegetables for dinner. While I may have a million ways of cooking veggies like zucchini, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower, when it comes to string beans and carrots I’m pretty set in my ways. For carrots, I love this recipe: Amazingly Delicious Sautéed Carrots.
For string beans, it’s the way I’m about to show you: blanched and tossed with a vinaigrette dressing. Floral decorations optional!
Ingredients
fresh string beans
@judyschickens Everyday Salad Dressing
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
edible flowers and sliced tomatoes (optional)
Mise en Place
Prepping String Beans:
If the string beans are fresh, you only need to pinch or clip off the stem end. If they are oldish, I clip both ends. I find it’s quick and easy to do this clipping with scissors.
How to Blanch a Pot of Beans (or most any vegetable, for that matter)
Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the prepped veggies.
Keep the heat on high and bring the water back to a full boil. This takes about four or five minutes.
Once the water comes back to a rolling boil, cook for just one additional minute and then remove the pot from the heat and promptly strain the veggies through a colander.
Cover the colander with a plate and let steam for ten minutes, five minutes if you want crunchier veggies.
Add vinaigrette and toss. Allow to set for about an hour. Toss again before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature. I prefer chilled.
Don’t stop there. Try decorating with edible flowers and cherry tomatoes for color. Here I used borage flowers and Sun Gold tomatoes from my garden. Add just before serving.
These beans are great to eat chilled the next day as leftovers.
This is a nice dish to use for feeding a crowd because you can make it ahead of time.
To make this a hot side dish:
You could skip the vinaigrette and add butter while the beans are still hot and serve as a hot side dish.
Related Posts
Sliced Beet Salad
Amazingly Delicious Sautéed Carrots
Cauliflower Three Ways: Roasted, Blanched and Mashed
Roasted Ratatouille
LET’S STAY CONNECTED!
Follow my photos of vegetables growing, backyard chickens hanging out, and dinner preparations on Instagram at JudysChickens.
Never miss a post: sign up to become a follower of the Blog.
© 2014-2017 Judy Wright. All rights reserved. Photos and text may only be used with written consent.
@judyschickens 
Ok, it’s for sure we are from the same family. My children’s favorite. The only thing I do different is add some onions are artichoke hearts.
Paula! I looked through my saved recipes and I found this note from you about the green bean salad: “when I made mine for Christmas I used, green beans, onions, black olives, green olives, artichoke hearts, celery, fresh basil, fresh parsley, salt and pepper with olive oil and vinegar.” I’m going to give it a try now that I have so many fresh herbs in the garden. Didn’t you call it something like “Big Daddy’s Salad”?
This looks so easy. I love the borage flowers in with the beans.
The color of that borage!! I will grow it every year from now on. Gloria, I still want to get over to your house to see your garden.
Looks like a good dish for our July 4th picnic!
Thanks, Judy & welcome back!
Susie
Thanks, Susie! Marlin’s Black-Eyed Pea Salad is great too for July Fourth weekend.
Trying this for sure. Always on the lookout for make ahead recipes.
Mimi, try these two: Marlin’s Black-Eyed Pea Salad and Grandma’s Italian Fried Cauliflower. My aunt used to make the fried cauliflower for tailgates. They were everyone’s favorite. Both recipes can be made ahead. Judy