Sunday Dinner: Green bean and tomato salad with creamy garlic dressing

Jul 29, 2012 7:00 AM by Patricia Conte

Posted in Food & Recipes / Family Recipes

Savor This Salad!

Seems like summer will soon be over. Before it's gone, savor the flavors and colors of fresh produce with this recipe for green bean and tomato salad with creamy garlic dressing.

Sunday Dinner: Green bean and tomato salad with creamy garlic dressing

Taste the goodness

Time flies, especially during the summer season. If you can get your hands on fresh produce, go for it! Soon the sunny days and warm weather will be behind us, and summer meals will be a thing of the past.

It's a snap to put this tasty salad and dressing together! Have the family join in to lend a hand for meal prep. Snapping the ends off fresh green beans is the perfect job for a younger family member, while slicing the tomatoes is perfect for a teen or adult. This salad is a great addition to any meal.

Family fun

After dinner, get together to determine which veggies are family favorites and create a menu of meals to make before the end of summer. Compile the recipes you try and like in a family cookbook, and you'll be ready for the years ahead!

Try this tasty recipe for quinoa salad with radishes and feta >>

Green bean and tomato salad with creamy garlic dressing

Recipe courtesy of Grab a Plate

Salad serves 4; dressing yields about 1/2 cup

Ingredients:

For the salad

1 pound fresh green beans, washed, ends trimmed and snapped in half
1/2 pint red grape tomatoes, washed and cut in half
1/2 pint yellow grape tomatoes, washed and cut in half

For the dressing

3 cloves garlic, cut into pieces
1 shallot, cut into a few pieces
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons pecans, toasted and chopped for garnish (substitute almonds or pine nuts if you'd prefer)

Directions:

For the dressing

Add all the ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth. Taste the dressing and season, as needed.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

For the salad

Refrigerate the clean tomatoes until ready to assemble the salad.
Blanch the green beans in boiling water for about three minutes. Drain them and immediately place them in ice water. Once cold, drain and refrigerate until ready to assemble the salad.
When ready to serve, add the green beans and tomatoes to a large bowl.
Drizzle the chilled dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
Serve on individual plates and garnish with the toasted pecans.
Add more dressing as desired.

Nothing beats the flavors of fresh veggies like the ones in this salad!