Green Bean Salad

Green Bean Salad is the side dish of your dreams. It is easy to prepare and can be made ahead. In fact, it is even better made ahead of time, because it gives the green beans time to absorb the dressing overnight and will be extra delicious the next day.

Sometimes our Thanksgiving plate can be an array of mash. Mashed potatoes, sweet potato mash, Cuban Stuffing, Guava Cranberry Sauce etc. Don’t get us wrong, we love all of this. We love Thanksgiving for its rich and intense flavors, but we also love a balance.

This green bean salad utilizes so many fall flavors but with a brightness that other Thanksgiving dishes don’t have. Our plates are in desperate need of a crunch. The green beans are blanched just until they are cooked so they still hold a crunch and they are surrounded by pomegranate seeds and crushed pistachios to lend that crisp crunch to every bite. 

Another reason this is a staple on our Thanksgiving buffet table is because it can be made in advance. You can assemble it and keep it in the fridge overnight. Just give it a good toss and remove it from the fridge 10 minutes before serving so the dressing has time to melt away into the green beans. You can substitute with other nuts such as walnuts or pecans or sunflower seeds if you want to leave the dish nut free. 

It’s a perfect pair to our thanksgiving sides and turkey but you can serve it as a salad along most of our entrees. 

Green Bean Salad

Recipe by Abuelas Cuban CounterCourse: SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

7

minutes

Cooking time

3

minutes

Ingredients

• 16 oz green beans, cleaned and trimmed

• 2 small shallots, sliced very thin

• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

• ½ cup chopped pistachios

• 1/3 cup of pomegranate seeds

• ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped

• ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Salt and freshly cracked pepper

Directions

• Boil water in a large pot. 
• Once the water is boiling add the green beans. Boil for 4 minutes. They should hold together completely but slightly bendable to the touch. 
• Set up an ice bath by filling a large bowl with water and ice. Fit a colander into the bowl. Once 4 minutes have passed and the green beans are just cooked drop them into the colander. Completely submerge them in the water. 
• While those sit there you can make the dressing. In a small bowl. Add the Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in the oil until it is completely emulsified. Set aside.  
• With a clean dish towel, thoroughly dry the green beans. Add them to a bowl and drizzle part of the dressing over them. You can reserve some of the dressing to add to the green beans at the time of serving. 
• Add the remaining ingredients. Toss and serve. You can keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve.