This beautiful and simple green bean salad has tangy flavours and a lovely crunch. It is a low-carb, low-calorie and gluten-free dish, and a perfect accompaniment to grilled or baked meat, chicken, turkey or fish. It is also so easy and quick to prepare!

HISTORY AND VARIATIONS OF THE GREEN BEAN SALAD RECIPE.

Green beans are a staple in the Balkan cuisines because they are a crop commonly grown in the region. Typically, they are used in salads and stews, view my recipe for Balkan-Style Green Bean Stew.

This Simple Green Bean Salad is a contemporary dish from Bulgaria cuisine. The origins of the salad are not known but I imagine there is influence from Italian cuisine because of the capers.

In the Balkans, the Green bean salad recipe has a few recipe variations.

The authentic Bulgarian basic recipe contains only a few ingredients: blanched green beans, spring onions and a garlic-and- herb infused salad dressing. In Greece, a basic green bean salad is made with blanched green beans and a simple dressing made with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. The salad is served sprinkled with feta and chopped olives on top.

In Serbia, a traditional green bean salad recipe call for sautéed chopped tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic. Blanched or sautéed root vegetables like carrots, turnips and celery are often added to the salad.

Another common green bean salad recipe in Bulgaria has a dressing made with yoghurt, mayonnaise and dill dressing. This salad is a bit heavy but it is delicious.

Some recipes for green bean salads in the Southern Balkans even call for fruit. Often, apricot is paired well with green beans. I suspect these recipes have been inspired by Middle East cuisines where fruits are often used in savoury dishes.

HOW TO MAKE THIS SIMPLE GREEN BEAN SALAD?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN MY GREEN BEAN SALAD

Green Beans: You can make a green bean salad with fresh green beans or with canned green beans. If you are using fresh beans, you need to blanch the beans first. Read my instructions on how to blanch green beans below.

Capers: We use capers marinated in vinegar brine in this salad because they have a beautiful tang and add a crunchy texture to the salad.

Dill: This green bean salad calls for dill, but if you do not like the flavour you can substitute it with fresh parsley.

Dressing: Traditionally, the dressing for this Simple Green Bean Salad calls for red wine vinegar and sunflower oil. The recipe comes from Bulgaria and these are authentic ingredients used in Bulgarian traditional cuisine. Red wine vinegar brings a unique tang to the salad, but you can replace it with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Adding a teaspoon of mustard will jazz up the salad and add wonderful spicy notes to it.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

This is a really basic salad that you can prepare in no time and if you like your veggies, you will definitely love it! Blanching the green beans takes only a few minutes, but there is a trick to make them nice and crunchy.

Step 1. Prepare the green beans for the salad

If using fresh green beans, soak the beans in cold water for 15 minutes to remove pesticides, then rinse them well. Trim the ends of the green beans and cut them into 2-3 pieces and blanch the green beans.

Alternatively, you can use canned green beans. You can view instructions on how to can green beans in my post How to Preserve Green Beans.

How to blanch green beans?

It is a general concept that fresh green beans should be ready within 5 minutes of blanching them and should not be overcooked to keep their crispiness and bright colour.

However, in the Balkans, we like our beans on the well-done side because when cooked for longer, green beans absorb more flavours of the dressing. But, there is a trick for preserving the crunchiness and the bright colour of well-cooked green beans:

Blanch green beans for 5 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Immediately after that, transfer the green beans to an ice bath for a few minutes until cooled. Return the beans to the pot with boiling water and simmer for another few minutes until fully cooked.

Step 2. Prepare the rest of the vegetables

Drain the marinated capers. Clean and slice the spring onions thinly. Transfer the blanched green beans to a salad bowl. Sprinkle chopped green onions and capers on top.

Step 3. Make the salad dressing

Mix the Dijon mustard with 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and pour olive oil gradually into the mixture, while stirring continuously to integrate the oil into the vinegar.

Next, add crushed garlic, chopped dill, and salt and pepper to your taste in the dressing. Stir well.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and stir to coat the green beans, capers and spring onions with the dressing.

🍲 SERVE THIS SIMPLE BUT PLEASANT SALAD

Green bean salad makes a great vegan or vegetarian main meal. It is also a perfect accompaniment to grilled and roasted meat dishes.

If you like heat, sprinkle thinly sliced mild red chilli on top of the salad.

Enjoy!

PIN IT FOR LATER!

AUTHENTIC SALAD RECIPES FROM THE TRADITIONAL BALKAN CUISINES

If you enjoy this recipe, do not forget to rate it and leave a comment in the form below the recipe card. I would love to hear from you! Subscribe to our mailing list to receive new exciting recipes and learn more about the Balkans by following the link Subscribe.