Mediterranean Green Bean Salad with kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese and a zesty dressing. This healthy side dish is perfect for warm weather.
After falling madly in love with my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, I’ve been incorporating Mediterranean-inspired flavors into all sorts of salad recipes.
This fresh green bean salad features bold ingredients like kalamata olives, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and onions. Everything is tied together with an easy peasy citrusy dressing.
A great side dish that pairs magically with a variety of main dishes, this simple recipe levels up your green bean experience.
While this cold green bean salad recipe is designed to be served chilled, it can also be served at room temperature or even warm. Plenty of versatility here!
I like employing it as a summer salad when the weather gets hot, as it is so refreshing when enjoyed chilled.
Let’s discuss the healthy ingredients for this flavorful green bean salad recipe. You can find the full ingredient list at your local grocery store.
Ingredients for Mediterranean Green Bean Salad:
Green Beans: Pick up one pound of fresh green beans to make this healthy salad recipe. I use French beans or regular green beans.
Canned green beans work too if you’re in a hurry and enjoy canned green beans.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: I love adding sun-dried tomatoes to all sorts of salad recipes to bring a pop of tangy flavor and some fun texture.
If you prefer fresh tomatoes over sun-dried, replace them with cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes.
Kalamata Olives: Adding bold richness and briny flavor, Kalamata olives add pomp and circumstance to everything they touch.
Feta Cheese: Adding a pop of creamy tanginess, feta cheese crumbles help build that Mediterranean flavor profile.
Red Onion: Onions bring zingy flavor and a little kick to this easy salad recipe. You can swap them out for pickled red onions, green onions, or omit them if you aren’t into onions.
Olive Oil or Avocado Oil: The base of the salad dressing, we need extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil. I like using avocado oil for its neutral flavor but if you love the flavor of olive oil, go extra virgin olive oil.
Lemon Zest: A little zest brings citrus flavor to this amazing side dish. I highly recommend including it to add to the flavor profile.
Lemon Juice or Balsamic Vinegar: We need something acidic to complete the dressing. Fresh lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar are great options.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the green beans salad to your liking using kosher salt and pepper.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Replace the kalamata olives with green olives or black olives.
- Use mozzarella balls, parmesan cheese, blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese crumbles instead of feta.
- Add pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts or sliced almonds for some crunch.
- If you enjoy the flavor of mustard, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard to the dressing.
- Add fresh herbs such as fresh basil or fresh parsley if you have them on hand.
- Turn this into a full meal by adding chopped cooked chicken breast to the salad. Hard-boiled eggs are a great protein source too.
- Add one drained can of garbanzo beans or kidney beans for a more substantial salad. If you do this, consider making a little more dressing.
- Garlic lovers, finely mince one to two small garlic cloves and them when you combine green beans with everything else.
Now that we’ve covered the fresh ingredients for this easy green bean salad recipe, let’s make it!
How to Make Green Bean Salad:
We begin by blanching the green beans. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove top and heating over high heat.
Place the green beans on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut off the tough ends, chop the beans into 2-inch pieces.
Transfer the cut green beans to the pot of boiling water. Cook for 1-2 minutes, just until the beans have softened but are still al dente and turn bright green.
Quickly drain the beans into a colander then transfer them to an ice bath (a large bowl full of cold water and ice).
This halts the cooking process so that the tender beans are still al dente. It also helps chill the beans so that the salad can be served cold immediately.
Allow the blanched green beans to sit in the chilled water while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Add the oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice (or red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar) to a small bowl or measuring cup and stir together.
Strain the beans into a colander and give them a good shake to remove any excess water. You can also use paper towels to pat the beans dry.
Transfer the green beans, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and sliced red onion to a large mixing bowl or a serving bowl.
Pour in the lemon dressing and toss everything together until it is well combined.
Serve green bean salad with your main entree and enjoy!
I find green bean salad is a lovely pairing for Grilled Steak, Crispy Salmon, or Grilled Chicken.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note: the salad will keep even longer if you don’t add the feta to it.
To make this recipe ahead of time, follow the instructions but leave out the feta cheese until just before serving. For the best results, enjoy the salad the same day of prep or the next day following prep.
That’s it! A great side dish for the warm months of the year when green beans are in season and you’re craving chilled food.
If you love green bean recipes, this simple side dish is the best way to enjoy some fresh flavors! It’s one of my favorite ways of enjoying green beans.
Looking for more healthy sides? Try out these gems.
More Healthy Side Dishes:
- Italian Salad
- Easy Three Bean Salad
- Roasted Asparagus Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Pear Apple Avocado Spinach Salad
- The Best Potato Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
The best green bean salad for any occasion!
Mediterranean Green Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans trimmed and chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes drained
- 2/3 cup kalamata olives pitted and sliced
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- 3 ounces feta cheese
- 4 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- Sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove top, heating over high heat. Place the green beans on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut off the tough ends, chop the beans into 2-inch pieces.
- Transfer the cut green beans to the pot of boiling water. Blanch for 1-2 minutes, just until the beans have softened but are still al dente and turn bright green. Quickly drain the beans into a colander then transfer them to an ice bath (a large bowl full of cold water and ice). This halts the cooking process so that the tender beans are still al dente. It also helps chill the beans so that the salad can be served cold immediately. Allow the blanched green beans to sit in the chilled water while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Add the oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice (or red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar) to a small bowl or measuring cup and stir together.
- Strain the beans into a colander and give them a good shake to remove any excess water. You can also use paper towels to pat the beans dry.
- Transfer the green beans, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and sliced red onion to a large mixing bowl or a serving bowl. Pour in the lemon dressing and toss everything together until it is well combined.
- Serve green bean salad with your main entree and enjoy! I find green bean salad is a lovely pairing for steak, salmon, or chicken.
Notes
Nutrition
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This looks delicious! I am looking forward to making it with green beans from my garden! I am curious as to what a serving size per person is for this salad.