Green Bean Salad with Toasted Almonds & Feta
This green bean salad is the best! Perfectly cooked green beans tossed in a lemony dressing with toasted almonds, feta and basil. Learn how to make it here!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 3, 2024
I didn’t intend to eat green beans for dinner last night, but it happened. I’ve learned a new trick to cooking them that yields tender-but-not-waterlogged (and definitely not mushy) green beans. I tossed my perfectly cooked green beans in a lemony sauce with savory toasted almonds, creamy and salty feta, and fresh basil.
I couldn’t stop myself, not that I wanted to. Who am I? This is coming from a girl who used to refuse her grandmother’s home-grown green beans as a kid.
I got the inspiration for this recipe from Sarah’s Instagram account (I love her stories). She shared a few snaps of a green bean salad with feta, and it looked so summery and delicious. I should have just asked for her recipe, but instead I took the more difficult route and created my own version.
I borrowed the cooking technique from America’s Test Kitchen. Instead of simmering the green beans in water, you cook them in a skillet, covered with a small amount of water, then uncover, raise the heat, and cook until it has evaporated. You end up with green beans with a lot more flavor than the watery, simmered variety. Try it!
Watch How to Make Green Bean Salad
More Green Bean Recipes to Enjoy
A short list of must-make green bean dishes:
- Best Ever Green Beans (Green Beans Amandine)
- Blistered Green Bean and Corn Quinoa Salad
- Perfect Roasted Green Beans
Green Bean Salad with Toasted Almonds & Feta
This green bean salad is the best! Perfectly cooked green beans are tossed in a lemony dressing with toasted almonds, feta and basil. Recipe yields 4 side servings.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 to 3” long pieces
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 small-to-medium clove garlic
- Several twists of freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
- 3 to 4 large basil leaves, torn or chopped, for garnish
- Lemon zest from about ½ lemon, for garnish
Instructions
- Start with a large skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently (careful, they burn quickly). After 3 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue stirring until they are fragrant and turning golden on the edges, about 1 to 3 more minutes. Transfer the almonds to a bowl to cool.
- Make sure the heat is set to medium-low and place the skillet back on the heat. Immediately add the green beans, water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are nearly tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the lid, raise heat to medium-high, and cook until the liquid evaporates, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Once the green beans are done cooking, whisk the olive oil mixture once more, then pour it into the skillet. Pour the almonds back into the skillet, and add about half of the feta, reserving the other half for garnish. Toss to combine, then taste and add more lemon juice or black pepper if necessary.
- Transfer the green beans to a serving bowl or platter. Sprinkle the remaining feta and the torn basil leaves on top. Lightly grate some lemon zest on top, and serve promptly.
Notes
Green bean cooking technique adapted from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the feta cheese, and replace it with an equivalent amount of Kalamata olives (pitted and thinly sliced) and/or sun-dried tomatoes (the oil-packed variety, rinsed and drained).
Make it nut free: I haven’t tried, but I think this recipe would be good with toasted sunflower seeds instead of the almonds.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I have made this with toasted walnuts. It is great cold on a hot summer day for lunch or dinner, a picnic or potluck.
I enjoy your blog alot.
Thanks for reading, Lyn!
I could not believe my eyes when I saw your recipe of green beans in my inbox today! Why? Because I had just made a green bean salad for dinner! Although my dressing was very similar to yours, to the green beans (which I had steamed) I had added an avocado, soft goat cheese, red bell pepper, sun dried tomatoes, pomegranate and a hard boiled egg.
What I have also made in the past is a simple green bean salad with tomatoes. All very delicious. I am sure yours will be nice too!
I hope you try this one, Charlotte!
It was really good.the family loves it
Hi Kate, my go-to method for green beans, peas and similar vegetables is to steam them. That keeps them wonderfully crisp and green.
Yes, I tried that, but I thought that it came out a little watery and mushy with the cheese.
Best way to cook green beans is to steam them, no soggy water logged beans, no contact with water at all
Yes, I tried that, but I still found them mushy and not as crisp as I wanted them!
I figured out this way to cook green beans a couple of years ago, how funny is that. I always put a little olive oil and chopped garlic in the pan first. Then when the water evaporates, it gets a few seconds to cook
This salad sound great. I definitely need to make it!
Yes, I hope you try it!
The very best green bean recipe that I have ever tasted, different.
I used pepitas in place of the almonds. The lemony dressing makes this dish. Will be my new Thanksgiving green bean dish, but won’t be waiting that long to make it again. Easy and delicious.
Have made several recipes from the blog, and from your new book. Ever one of them will be repeated. Bought three of your new book for gifts.
Oh, I’m so glad you already tried this and loved it, Vel! Thank you so much for sharing my book.
Pepitas are a great suggestion! I have a ton of them, so I’m going to do the same. Can’t wait to see how it turns out.
I made the green bean salad tonight for dinner. My husband and I loved it. Never would have thought adding the basil would give such an interesting twist of flavor. Love your cookbook and all the recipes you share. Thank you!
So glad you both loved it, Kim! Thanks for getting the book, too. :)
This is so good…I have eaten it twice already since you sent it out! Thanks for the great recipe, definitely a keeper.
Thanks, Roxane! So easy and delicious, this one.
Wow – made this last night and it was a big hit! Looking forward to the leftovers later. I see this becoming a standard since it uses so many things we always have on hand.
I’m so glad, Ann! Thanks for the comment.
I have some crisp green beans waiting for me at home and can’t wait to try this!
Let me know how it goes!
Made this tonight, the flavour was delicious. I found the beans a little overcooked though, and a little labor intensive/ pan dirtying for little reward.
I usually cook green beans by throwing them in a bowl with a splash (1-2 tbsp) of water, cover tightly with glad wrap and throw in the microwave for 1-2 mins. They come out CRISP and tender, so refreshing. Next time I’ll make this with my green bean method and just toss the dressing and almonds through. :D
That sounds like it’d work, Asako!
What are your recommendations for making this ahead?
I like this salad best when it’s served warm, so there’s not really an make-ahead option there, short of preparing all the components in advance. However, some commenters love it served cool, too, so you could just make it and refrigerate.
I just made these green beans, and they are so good. Not only are the flavors spot on, but I love that cooking at the last minute as I was, I could serve it at room temperature – no need to chill the salad. (And I love the easy method for cooking the beans, too.) Thanks, Kate!
You’re welcome, Susan! I’m so glad this worked out so well for you.
I made this as a treat on my birthday and the beans were perfectly cooked and delicious. Green beans can be a little blah, and this vibrant dressing and the feta cheese took them to another level!
Thank you, Mary! I’m so glad you enjoyed this.
This salad does sound good. I’ve gotten to a point, thanks to my husband, where I generally do my veggies plain. He likes them best with butter and salt. But every now and again, I see a recipe like this one that makes me think I should try something different. I also find the cooking method intriguing. Lately I’ve just been steaming my veggies.
I hope you get a chance to try this, Susan!
Incredible! Made this last night and absolutely loved it – it was so fresh, easy to prepare, and satisfying. I served it warm and the combo of tart lemon, crunchy almonds, and salty feta was spot on. This one is definitely going into my weekly rotation – thanks for another winner, Kate!
Oh, I’m so glad you loved this, Sarah! It comes together pretty fast, right? Happy it was straightforward and delicious for you.
OH MY! This was delicious!!! I made this for dinner and I had to make myself stop eating so I could save some to take to work for my lunch the next day (even good the second day!). Even tho it turned out that that day lunch was provided, I STILL chose to eat my green bean salad!! Super crispy and wonderfully good.
That’s when you know your lunch is good, when you choose it over free food! I’m so glad you loved this, Diana. Thanks for commenting!
I made this recipe tonight with green beans from our garden. It was phenomenal. My husband is not a vegetable lover but he really liked this recipe
Oh, garden-fresh green beans sound absolutely amazing.
Hi! How would you store this to eat a day later?
Love this recipe!
Delicious warm, and cold the next day. I might have eaten half the bowl before it made it to the dinner table.
Hahah! You’re not the only one, for sure. Thanks, Susan!
Hey Kate, This looks an interesting recipe, all this while I have stir fried beans and used as a side or for munching it as snacks. But Adding almonds completely gives a new twist to the humble beans. Can I also add walnuts and cashew? They are my favorite.
I don’t see why not, Kirti!
I love green beans and this looks delicious. Would coriander work as well as basil? Thank you in advance.
Hi Lisa, I’m sorry I missed your question earlier. I think parsley would be a better pick, if you can find it.
This was amazing recipe, so easy, quick and the best!
Thanks, Bethany! That’s exactly what I was aiming for.
Hi, I’m wondering how many calories in a serving, and what would a serving be? Thanks!
Hi, Jewell! You can find the Nutrition Facts for this recipe right under the notes. Click on the heading, and the info will drop down.
Kate, this “salad” is fantastic! Loved the method for cooking the green beans.
I must admit that I made a couple of changes, not because I thought I knew better, but because I did not have feta. I used shaved parmigiano in its place and it was pretty good. Next time I will make sure I have feta on hand; now that I’ve found this recipe, it won’t be the last time I make it. (I also added some sesame seeds for the last couple of minutes that the almonds were toasting, which was a nice addition) . I know it says to serve immediately, which did, but also hope it will be good tomorrow for lunch! Thank you Kate!
It should keep just fine for lunch, Lynn, so don’t worry! Your version sounds delicious.
It was indeed still great the next day, what little there was left the evening that I made it! Thank you again for a fantastic recipe. I can’t wait until Tuesday when I can get more farm fresh beans from the farmer’s market to make it again.
Kate, this recipe is ridiculous! I knew when I read it, I had to try it – but I was still blown away. Green beans are in season for me right now and I’ve been making this recipe at least twice a week (sometimes more…). I love the sour-salty-crunchy combination, and it’s so easy to make. I’ve been enjoying it hot (partly because I can’t wait for it to cool down), and it’s delicious. Thanks for another stellar recipe!
You’re welcome, Sarah! I like this when it’s still warm, too.
So delicious! I tried this with broccoli as I didn’t have green beans and it was amazing. Thanks for the great recipe, will definitely be making this again!
This was DELICIOUS! Making green beans this way forever, loved the tangy dressing.
This is divine! And so quick to prepare.
Wow! I just made these tonight and it was the most delicious thing I’ve eaten all day. I was recently diagnosed with diabetes and struggling to get more veggies into my face and fewer carbs. This was so terrific I went back for seconds.
One note: I am not usually one to change a recipe and then comment on it, I will mention that a little laziness doesn’t harm this recipe at all. I had pre-toasted almond slivers and pre-trimmed haricorts verts that I did not further cut into small pieces. I also forgot to pick up basil. No problem! The crunch of the almond, the crispness of the beans, and the lemon “vinaigrette” make it special. Thanks so much for sharing this.
I usually try to keep my veggies super simple (s&p, EVOO, roasted), but this sounded so good that I needed to try it. I loved this dish so much I had to make it again! I lightened it up a bit the second time by only using 1/4 cup almonds and 1 tbsp olive oil, and it was still just as delicious (~130 cals per serving). This recipe may become a regular in my house!
Best recipe ever! I should have doubled it as it was so good we couldn’t stop eating it.
Happy to hear it, Cheryl! I would welcome a star review since you liked it so much :)
This was a big hit at our Thanksgiving table! I used the hazelnuts and gorgonzola we had on hand, and it was delicious.
Fantastic! Thank you, Emily for sharing.
Loved this! I personally like my beans crunchy so I just pan fried them in a small amount of oil and then followed the recipe. Yummo!
Thanks for you review, Natasha!
Thank you for sharing this salad recipe. I love beans and It is new recipe for me. Healthy and tasty both.
You are welcome! I am glad you liked it :)
The dressing is fantastic! I see one comment used broccoli in place of beans which would be great too. I actually used it as a side dish for our omnivores so left out the almonds and cheese and added cucumber and avo. It’s hot here in Aussie now so after steaming the beans I drained and put them in ice water, then drained again and dried with a towel. Served the salad cold which was delish. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing how you made this work for you. I think serving as a side is great! I appreciate the review.
This was delicious and definitely a new way for me to make green beans! I used a feta cheese with herbs & garlic which gave it an extra flavour boost. Yum!
Thanks for sharing!
Nice recipe. However there is no actual mention of the beans getting together with the sauce …. Where you say ‘pour the almonds back into the skillet’ perhaps you mean ‘pour the beans and almonds …’
Anyway that’s what I will do.
Cheers R
I’m not exactly sure what you are meaning, but you will toast the almonds, set aside to cool (step 1) and then move onto the beans (step 2). You add the almonds back to the dish in step 4. I hope this helps!
Another outstanding recipe from C&K! I was intrigued by the cooking method of the string beans along with America’s Test Kitchen being one of my son’s favorites. I will never make string beans any other way and this salad is so tasty I highly recommend it. Made it for Easter and it was enjoyed by all!
Thank you C&K!
You’re welcome!
I am a big, big fan of this salad and am happy to report that it works well with other green veggies, like zucchini! I had plans to make this last week but when I pulled out my green beans, I found that they had gone by. I was devastated! Then I remembered that I had a few zucchini in the fridge. I gave the salad a go with those and it was delicious. I think I’ll give it a try with asparagus this week!
Wonderful, Nicole! Asparagus sounds delicious.
I forgot to add the basil leaves, but it was still yummy.
I’m happy it was still good, Nancy!.
This was amazing! So easy and delicious. I will definitely make this again! Your recipes never disappoint!
Thank you again, Kathy!
This is my go to when I want to take a dish to a BBQ. It’s always a hit.
Love to hear that! Thanks, Libby.
Just made this using a bag of frozen French style green beans. Dressing really jazzed up my frozen veggies!
That’s great, Holly!
this looks incredible! before I try it – do you think leftovers will keep well for lunch the next day? or should I only make enough for one meal?
This will keep well in the refrigerator covered for a few days. But, it is best served immediately.
This was so delicious. The entire family inhaled it. First time discovering your blog and I’ll definitely be making more of your recipes. Thanks for sharing!
Win! Thank you, Sophie.
This is so delicious and so easy – will definitely be my default green bean recipe going forward. I used a 12 oz. bag of pre-cut beans but used the same amount of sauce for extra flavor. The water dissolved sooner than expected so I will shorten the cooking time by a few minutes next time for firmer beans. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing and for your review, Annie!
So yummy! I loved the flavors and the beans were cooked to perfection!
Wonderful! Thank you, Mandy for your review.
Loved it! Full of flavors!
Thank so much for this beautiful recipe. Made it tonight and hubby and I really enjoyed it. And it was so quick and easy to do.
Great to hear, Fabia!