How long does it take to cook green beans?

The key to the best beans is to master how long to boil green beans. Cook the green beans, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water until crisp-tender: 10 to 15 minutes for whole or cut green beans . 5 to 10 minutes for french-cut green beans.

How long to soak green beans before cooking?

Overnight Soaking To soak beans the traditional way, cover them with water by 2 inches, add 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon fine salt) per pound of beans, and let them soak for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours . Drain them and rinse before using.

How do you know when green beans are cooked enough?

So the next time you're boiling green beans, take a moment to taste one before declaring them cooked. If they taste more like grass than vegetable, give them another minute or two in the pot . Same thing for any other vegetable you're eating cooked.

Is it better to snap or cut green beans?

Cooks snap off the end of green beans so that they can cook evenly and be more tender. Unless the green beans are already tender, then you don't have to worry about snapping the end off because the end only needs snapped off to help develop the beans on the inside of the green bean.

Can you prepare green beans the night before?

Drain and rinse under cold water 1 to 2 minutes to stop cooking process. Drain well. Refrigerate green beans between layers of paper towels in an airtight container or resealable food storage bag for up to 1 day . To serve, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in large skillet.

Is it better to steam or boil fresh green beans?

Steaming is a simple way to cook vegetables, and it leaves the flavor and much of the nutrients intact. It's slightly healthier than boiling since fewer nutrients end up in the water . Plus, steaming requires little time and attention. A steamer basket is a great kitchen tool to have on hand.

Is it better to boil or microwave green beans?

Convenient Health Perk When it comes to vegetables, the shorter the cook time, the fewer nutrients lost. In this case, microwaving green beans in just a small amount of water for 4 to 5 minutes helps to preserve vitamins and minerals better than other cooking methods .

Why are my green beans tough after cooking?

It is usually a problem with beans that have been stored for a long time, or which have not been stored in ideal conditions (too hot, etc.), most often because of their age , so most simply call it 'old beans. ' See this document for more information. How can you cook green beans properly?

Green Bean Salad with Feta and Lemon Recipe

Published: Jul 25, 2023 · Modified: Mar 17, 2024 by Briana · This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe

This Feta Green Bean Salad Recipe is the refreshing taste of summer! Crisp fresh green beans get blanched and are then combined with tangy, salty feta cheese, and a lemony olive oil dressing. This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, and uses only 7 ingredients including the salt and pepper!

Green Bean Salad with Feta and Lemon Recipe — A Full Living (1)

Disclaimer: This post was originally published in September 2016, but has been updated for clarity, with better instructions, pictures, and tips. We hope you enjoy the new look!

Looking for the perfect veggie side dish? This easy green bean salad is the perfect refreshing and easy dish to make for any deal of the week for dinner, meal prep, or even a day or two in advance of gatherings.

Unlike lettuce, green beans can sit in the fridge without getting wilted and gross, making it an easy option with bright flavors that can be enjoyed over the course of the week.

You may also like this Italian green bean salad with juicy tomatoes, this cold asparagus salad with goat cheese, or these lemon garlic green beans.

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❤️Why we love this recipe
🍋Ingredients
🔪Prep work
📋Instructions
💭Frequently Asked Questions
What To Serve This Salad
More Recipes To Consider
📖 Recipe
💬 Community

❤️Why we love this recipe

Refreshing and light.This salad is a perfect combination of refreshing and tender crisp green beans, and tangy feta cheese, making it an excellent choice for a warm day or as a palate cleanser between heavy courses.
Flavorful.Despite its simplicity, this salad is packed with flavor from the zesty fresh lemon juice and zest, aromatic chives, and black pepper.
Easy recipe.With only a handful of ingredients and minimal prep time, this is the perfect salad for a quick and easy side dish. You can find everything you need to make this recipe at any grocery store.
Versatile.Whether it's a BBQ, a picnic, a dinner party, or a weekday lunch, this salad fits into any menu seamlessly.
Customizable.The simplicity of the recipe makes it easy to add your own touch, whether it's tossing in some cherry tomatoes, some grilled chicken or shrimp, or using a different type of cheese. Naturally gluten free and low carb, this recipe caters to a variety of tastes and dietary requirements. Plus, it can easily be made dairy free or vegan as well!
Vibrant and pretty.This salad not only tastes good, but also looks beautiful too, making it perfect for entertaining.

🍋Ingredients

Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.

Green Bean Salad with Feta and Lemon Recipe — A Full Living (2)

Fresh green beans.
Lemon juice and zest.
Extra virgin olive oil.The highest quality you can afford, since this brings a lot of flavor to the dish.
Kosher salt and black pepper.
Feta cheese.We highly recommend using the block kind that comes in brine whenever possible for the best flavor.
Chives.Optional, but adds a nice punch of flavor to the dish.

Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.

✨Substitutions & variations

Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.

Swap the cheese. Out of feta cheese or prefer something else? Try using blue cheese, creamy goat cheese, or parmesan cheese instead.
Use different herbs.Use your favorite fresh herbs like fresh basil, fresh dill, fresh oregano, or parsley instead!
Add nuts. Feel free to add a bit of crunch and flavor with some slivered almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, or pecans.
Add tomatoes.Add in some halved grape tomatoes or juicy cherry tomatoes for more veggies!
Make it a meal. Add some protein like roast chicken breast, shrimp, or some tofu to make this salad into dinner!
No lemons?No problem. Try adding a splash of balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice for a bit of acidity.
Extra saltiness.Add some salty olives or capers to the mix for more flavor.
Add a touch of sweetness.Want to sweeten up the dressing a bit? Try adding a bit of honey or maple syrup.
Swap the chives. Feel free to use green onions, or thinly sliced yellow sweet onions, shallots, or even red onion instead for a bit of pungency.
Spicy.Add in a pinch of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat!

🔪Prep work

Wash the lemons.
Mince the chives.
Wash and trim the green beans, and if desired, cut them into smaller pieces.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
Make a large ice bath by placing ice and very cold water in a large bowl.
Measure out all remaining ingredients.

📋Instructions

Add olive oil, chives, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a mixing bowl. (Image 1)

Whisk together well until combined. (Image 2) Cover, and place in the fridge until it's time to dress the salad.

Green Bean Salad with Feta and Lemon Recipe — A Full Living (3)

Green Bean Salad with Feta and Lemon Recipe — A Full Living (4)

Once the salted water is boiling, place the beans into the boiling water, and cook for about 3-5 minutes.(Image 3) You want the green beans to become a vibrant green color while also maintaining their crisp texture.

Once the beans are cooked to your liking, immediately add them to a large bowl of cold water and ice to stop the cooking process. (Image 4)

Green Bean Salad with Feta and Lemon Recipe — A Full Living (5)

Green Bean Salad with Feta and Lemon Recipe — A Full Living (6)

✨Pro tip: The water you boil the beans in should taste quite salty (like the ocean!) to infuse the beans with flavor while they cook for a short time.

To avoid a watery salad, make sure to remove the green beans from the ice water bath as soon as they are completely chilled using a skimmer. Place some paper towels at the bottom of the bowl to catch any excess water, and use paper towels to dry off the beans. (Image 5)

Green Bean Salad with Feta and Lemon Recipe — A Full Living (7)

✨Tips & tricks

Heavily salt the water for blanching. The beans will only bean in this salty water for a few minutes, so you really want to infuse them with flavor! It should be very, very salty, as in, it should taste a gross level of salty to make sure there is enough in there!
Don't cook the beans for too long. You want to soften the green beans just slightly, but they should still have a nice crispy texture and bright green color. We don't want overcooked beans!
Make sure your ice bath is ICE COLD! It should be almost uncomfortable to check the water temperature for more than a few seconds. This will halt the cooking process very quickly, which is what we want.
Dry the beans off well. After the beans are nice and cool, be sure to take them out right away and dry them off with paper towels so that you don't end up with a watery salad.
Use whole block feta that comes in brine! Trust us, this stuff tastes the best. Of course, you can use pre-crumbled if that's all you have, but the flavor and texture of block feta in brine is unmatched.
Taste as you go. There are some different salty elements in this recipe, so make sure to taste as you go to avoid oversalting for your personal preference.

Need supplies?Shop ourAmazon store!Stock your pantry, and find all of our favorite kitchen tools! A Full Living LLC earns a small commission through purchases on our storefront to help support this site.

💭Frequently Asked Questions

How to store the leftovers?

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.Do not freeze.

What To Serve This Salad

What to eat this salad with:

Bavette steak, air fryer steak tips, or an air fryer ribeye.
With this herbed lemon chicken.
With a piece of salmon or with this baked cod in tomato sauce.
& much more!

More Recipes To Consider

Cold Asparagus Salad
Lemon Garlic Green Beans
Cabbage and Carrot Salad
Italian Green Bean Salad Recipe

Did you try this recipe? Make sure to leave a 5-star review below! 🌟 This helps other readers find our recipes and encourages them to try them. Also, be sure to leave a comment with your experience. Follow along, and tag @AFullLiving on Instagram with your photos!

📖 Recipe

Green Bean Feta Salad

Briana

This Green Bean Feta Salad is light, refreshing, and easy to make. A perfect salad or side dish to serve alongside any dinner. With just 7 simple ingredients, you can make this delicious side in under 30 minutes.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 164 kcal

Equipment

▢
large dutch oven or stockpot
▢
mixing bowls
▢
Rubber Spatula
▢
Whisk
▢
skimmer

Ingredients

▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
▢ ¼ cup fresh chives, minced (optional and to taste)
▢ 4-6 tablespoons lemon juce (juice of 2 lemons, or to taste)
▢ 1 tablespoon lemon zest
▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
▢ 1.5 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
▢ 8 ounces feta cheese (use the block kind in brine)
▢ salt for blanching the green beans
▢ lemons for garnish

Instructions

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Make a large ice bath by placing ice and very cold water in a large bowl.
Add olive oil, chives, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a mixing bowl.Whisk together well until combined.Cover, and place in the fridge until it's time to dress the salad.
Once the salted water is boiling, place the beans into the boiling water, and cook for about 3-5 minutes.You want the green beans to become a vibrant green color while also maintaining their crisp texture. Once the beans are cooked to your liking, immediately add them to a large bowl of cold water and ice to stop the cooking process.
To avoid a watery salad,make sure to remove the green beans from the ice water bath as soon as they are completely chilledusing a skimmer. Place some paper towels at the bottom of the bowl to catch any excess water, and use paper towels to dry off the beans.
Now, pour the dressing over the beans and toss to combine.Next, crumble on the feta cheese. Toss again, adjust the seasonings according to your tastes, then plate with more lemon, chives, salt, and pepper. Enjoy!
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.Do not freeze.

Notes

Heavily salt the water for blanching.The beans will only bean in this salty water for a few minutes, so you really want to infuse them with flavor! It should be very, very salty, as in, it should taste a gross level of salty to make sure there is enough in there!
Don't cook the beans for too long.You want to soften the green beans just slightly, but they should still have a nice crispy texture and bright green color. We don't want overcooked beans!
Make sure your ice bath is ICE COLD!It should be almost uncomfortable to check the water temperature for more than a few seconds. This will halt the cooking process very quickly, which is what we want.
Dry the beans off well.After the beans are nice and cool, be sure to take them out right away and dry them off with paper towels so that you don't end up with a watery salad.
Use whole block feta that comes in brine!Trust us, this stuff tastes the best. Of course, you can use pre-crumbled if that's all you have, but the flavor and texture of block feta in brine is unmatched.
Taste as you go.There are some different salty elements in this recipe, so make sure to taste as you go to avoid oversalting for your personal preference.

Nutrition

Calories: 164kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 6gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 474mgPotassium: 211mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 762IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 174mgIron: 1mg

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Green Bean Salad with Feta and Lemon Recipe — A Full Living (2024)