Mediterranean Vegan Green Bean Salad

Featuring cherry tomatoes and a quick Mediterranean cilantro sauce, this mouthwatering Vegan Green Bean Salad is easy to make in 20 minutes.

Sometimes all you need are some fresh herbs and spices to bring out the natural flavor of fresh seasonal vegetables. This vegan salad without lettuce takes green beans and tomatoes to another level by adding a simple dressing you can make in minutes in a food processor.

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• Why you'll love this recipe
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Serving suggestions
• Storing
• FAQ
• More green bean recipes
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Ingredients

The list of ingredients you will need is relatively short. Besides fresh green beans and cherry tomatoes, you will need the following for the dressing:

• Fresh garlic
• Fresh cilantro: If you're someone who doesn't care for cilantro, don't worry. You can use fresh parsley or basil instead.
• Lemon juice: A little acid livens up the sauce.
• Olive oil: Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can, but you don't need to spend a lot. Costco's Kirkland brand organic EVOO is highly rated and a staple in my kitchen.
• Salt and pepper: Start with a little, then taste and add more, if needed.

For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Instructions

Trim and blanch

Blanching, or lightly cooking the beans, is a great way to ensure they stay bright green and crisp. No one wants soggy gray beans in their salad.

First line up the green beans up on a cutting board and trim the stem ends. Then prepare an ice bath by placing cold water and ice cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Now you're ready to blanch the beans:

1. In a large pan, bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil. You want enough water to just cover the beans. Add the whole trimmed green beans to the pot. Allow them to cook for about 2 minutes until they are bright green. Do not overcook the beans.
2. Quickly remove the beans from the water with kitchen tongs and place them in the ice bath to stop the cooking. Allow them to cool completely before making the salad.

Cilantro sauce

What makes this vegan green bean salad really special is the flavorful cilantro sauce. It's made like pesto in a food processor, but with cilantro instead of basil.

Place the ingredients in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until a sauce is formed, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as necessary. You should still be able to see small bits of herbs in the sauce.

Making the salad

Slice the cooled beans into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Then add them to a large bowl with the cherry tomatoes and cilantro sauce, toss well, and serve.

Variations

Change up your salad by adding fresh corn, olives, or walnuts. The sauce can also be served on rice, pasta, or other vegetables.

Serving suggestions

This Mediterranean green bean salad works well with both hot and cold dishes. You can enjoy it with pasta and warm bread. (I recommend Bread SRSLY gluten-free vegan sourdough from San Francisco which I like to order online and keep in the freezer.)

Or try it with your favorite summer grilling recipes at picnics and potlucks. I also like to make it a meal with other salads like the Greek Vegan Potato Salad and Mediterranean Cannellini Bean Salad shown below.

Storing

Leftover salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing it.

FAQ

More green bean recipes

Looking for more ways to enjoy green beans? Try some of these vegan Mediterranean diet favorites:

And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★

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