Ever wish there was another, less boring way to prepare green beans? Well, there is. This amazing German salad is everything but boring. Fresh beans, tomatoes, and hard-boiled eggs paired with a delicious dressing make this a must try! Best of all, it comes together in only 15 minutes.
My tiny garden is yielding green beans faster than we can eat them. Although we are huge fans of green beans, there are only so many days in a row I dare to serve them.
I'm not willing to start freezing them just yet so I share them with my daughter and try to prepare them in new, exciting ways. Luckily, the older I get the more I remember from way back when (but don't ask me what happened yesterday or even what I had for breakfast this morning. Ha).
OK, perhaps I'm not lucky to be old, but some forgotten dishes are resurfacing in my mind like that French lemon yogurt cake I just made. As I was looking at yet another green bean batch from my garden, I remembered that Germans often serve them as a salad. Beats me why I never thought of it since I'd left Germany.
So, what about them beans?
If you're looking for a vegetable with stellar amounts of health benefits, green beans aka string beans certainly fit the bill. They are a great source of vitamin A and antioxidants. Flavonoids like catechins (also found in green tea) in green beans help reduce body fat and can prevent obesity. To name a few more, green beans also contain B-vitamins, vitamin C, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium, which are essential for body metabolism - basically a superhero vegetable.
This colorful salad can be eaten warm or cold or as a side dish and is an absolute hit during the summer because it offers a light meal that is easy and quick to prepare. They are first blanched then mixed with tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs and finally tossed with light garlic balsamic vinaigrette for an effortless dish your whole family will love.
This amazing German salad is a great dish for vegetarians but you could add crispy bacon just like I did in this asparagus and peas dish, another green giant.
As I was enjoying my favorite summer scene of sitting on a porch and snapping my green and yellow wax beans for dinner, I couldn't help but get excited about exploring other "hidden" dishes tucked away in my memory drawers. Hey, gotta find something to look forward to as I age, right? 🙂
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Amazing German Green Bean Salad
[bctt tweet="Amazingly delicious German Green Bean #Salad is easy and light #wholesome meal made in just 15 minutes. #greenbeans #IFBCX" username="via all_thats_jas"]
Ingredients:
Serves 4
- 1 pound fresh green or yellow wax beans (or both for color)
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 small shallot, chopped or sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon mustard (optional - I forgot to add it and it was still so delicious)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
~ Free Tip ~
Serve with crusty bread for a complete meal. Top with crispy bacon. Saute shallot and garlic, then add blanched beans and dressing for a different flavor. Serve as an accompaniment to meat dishes.
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of salt water to a boil.
- In the meantime wash the green beans briefly and, if desired, break the ends.
- Once the water boils, add the green beans and reduce the temperature (the water should only simmer). Blanch beans for 5 minutes.
- Drain green beans and place in a large bowl or a serving platter. Add the cherry tomatoes and eggs.
- In a small bowl, combine together the shallot, garlic, mustard (if using), salt, pepper, and vinegar. Whisk in olive oil.
- Pour over bean mixture. Sprinkle the bean salad with some fresh basil.
- Enjoy!
Amazing German Green Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green or yellow wax beans or both for color
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 small shallot chopped or sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ tablespoon mustard optional - I forgot to add it and it was still so delicious
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salt water to a boil.
- In the meantime wash the green beans briefly and, if desired, break the ends.
- Once the water boils, add the green beans and reduce the temperature (the water should only simmer). Blanch beans for 5 minutes.
- Drain green beans and place in a large bowl or a serving platter. Add the cherry tomatoes and eggs.
- In a small bowl, combine together the shallot, garlic, mustard (if using), salt, pepper, and vinegar. Whisk in olive oil.
- Pour over bean mixture. Sprinkle the bean salad with some fresh basil.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Pin it: Amazing German Green Bean Salad
This looks so yummy! #ReaderTipTuesday
Thank you, Catherine! Have a lovely day 🙂
What a beautiful dish! I'm guilty of cooking string beans the same way my mother did. They are nowhere near healthy but man are they good! After boiling them until most of the green color is gone they were smothered with ham hocks or salt pork. My family will probably stage a mutiny if I cook them a different way but if they don't eat them that means more for me. Yay!
Thank you for sharing with us at Celebrate Your Story, and have a great weekend.
Haha, Sandra! My favorite way of preparing them is with bacon, but this is a salad, so it doesn't count against the cook 😉
I'm always eager to find new vegetable recipes. I'll be trying this one out! Thanks for sharing it with us at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty! Pinning for future reference!
Thank you, Teresa! 🙂
Yum! Going to have to try this recipe 🙂 Thank you Jas for linking up at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty. I shared your post on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Twitter.
I hope you do! I can't say enough how yummy it is 🙂
Thank you!
I agree that this definitely not a boring meal. In fact, it looks really good given it only takes a few minutes to prepare. I will definitely try this as I am looking forward to cutting down my meat intake.
Hi, Sheila! I literally ate the whole thing all by myself right after I took the photos. Didn't even manage to sit down, lol. It is that good! Hope you'll like it just as much 😀
This salad looks healthy and delicious! Thanks for sharing at #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty
It really is, and I'm not just saying this because I made it 🙂
Hi Jas. This bean salad looks really good. And so simple. I just bought some fresh green beans. Just have to get the yellow ones and I can try this recipe. Thanks for sharing at #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty. I have shared on social media.
Oh, it works with just the green beans. I only used yellow too becasue I grow them in my garden 🙂
Hi Jas this bean salad looks yummy. My husband makes one with beans, potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli which I just love. Thanks for sharing at #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty. I've pinned and shared.
Mmm, that sounds yummy! Is there a way to get my hands on your husband's recipe? 🙂
Congratulations!
Your post is Featured on The Top Ten for Full Plate Thursday and thanks so much for sharing it with us. Have a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
What a perfect timing, Miz Helen! I needed a good news! Thanks so much 🙂
Jas I love veggie salads like this. And adding a bit of that yummy dressing certainly doesn't hurt at all.
No, it doesn't. It makes it that much yummier, Mary 🙂
Congratulations on being featured on Full Plate Thursday. I have been getting beans from my CSA and I love the way you prepared them. Will have to give it a try!
Thank you, Judee! I'm sure you'll like them 🙂
I just pinned your beautiful salad we will love it! I sure appreciate you sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Thanks, Miz Helen!
Love this salad, I'm actually a fan of waxed beans:). Of course, I will eat it alongside grilled brats, and I'll take the crusty bread any time!
Thanks, Milena! And chug it all down with a glass of cold home-brewed would be perfect 😉
And yet another wonderful recipe! Quick and simple and healthy! Thanks Jas!
Hi, Lori! Thank you and thanks so much for visiting!
Poor green beans always get over looked! Great idea for them!
Lol, poor beans 🙂
What a great way to switch up the green bean routine! We didn't plant any this year, but we do love fresh beans. I'm sure they'll be back next year!
If I don't plant anything else, I plant green and wax beans because we love them so much. And it's easy to share with family when I have too much. Same with zucchini, btw, which makes me think of your pie every time I harvest them, lol. I shared your recipe with my sisters in law 🙂
This german green bean salad looks fabulous. I love recipes that are healthy. Thank you for sharing at Wonderful Wednesday Blog Party. Pinned and Shared.
Thank you, Amy! Healthy AND delicious! 🙂