Refreshing Cold Green Bean Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe

Ingredients

• ice as needed
• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch sugar, or more to taste
• 2 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 0.25 cup toasted sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice water; set aside for later use.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, add the green beans, and blanch until they are just tender-crisp, approximately 3 to 4 minutes (be careful not to overcook them). Drain the green beans thoroughly, then immediately transfer them to the ice bath to halt the cooking process; set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, grated lemon zest, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of sugar until well combined.
4. Drain the green beans very well and pat them dry with a clean paper towel to prevent diluting the flavorful dressing. Place the drained green beans into a bowl and drizzle generously with the prepared vinaigrette, tossing gently to ensure they are evenly coated.
5. Transfer the dressed green beans to an attractive serving dish. Garnish artfully with crumbled goat cheese and toasted almonds before serving.

Nutrition

• Calories: 170 kcal
• Fat Content: 12 g
• Fiber Content: 5 g
• Sodium Content: 111 mg
• Protein Content: 6 g
• Cholesterol Content: 11 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 10 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 4 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g