Make Ahead

Green Beans Vinaigrette

by:
July  1, 2021
4.6
5 Ratings
Green Beans Vinaigrette
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish
Author Notes

You can use this vinaigrette on virtually any salad or vegetable -- and feel free to adjust the quantities to your taste. —Merrill Stubbs

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Salt
  • 1 pound green beans
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 5 tablespoons good olive oil
Directions
  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. In the meantime, snap the stem ends off the beans and rinse them under cold water. Fill a bowl with ice water and set it near the sink.
  2. When the water is boiling rapidly, add the beans to the pot. Cook them for a couple minutes, until bright green and just tender. Drain them and quickly transfer them to the bowl of ice water. Stir the beans around a little, and once they're cool, drain them again. Lay the beans out on a kitchen towel to dry completely. Cut the beans in half, or leave them whole if you prefer.
  3. To make the vinaigrette, combine both the vinegars with the mustard, honey and a few generous pinches of salt in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continuously, until the dressing is emulsified. Taste and add more salt or honey if you like. You can also put all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar, seal it tightly and shake vigorously to combine -- which is what I usually do.
  4. Put the beans in a bowl, add a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss well. Taste and add more dressing if you like before serving. You can store the rest of the vinaigrette in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Any leftover dressed beans will keep in the refrigerator for a few days -- as time passes, they absorb more of the vinaigrette and start to sort of half-pickle, which I actually kind of like.
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3 Reviews

Westcoasty
Westcoasty July 10, 2015
Because I'm slowly learning how to be a true foodie and so don't always have all the staples on hand (but you should have heard my crow of triumph the day I found smoked paprika in the grocery store!), I substitute balsamic vinegar and apple cider vinegar, which is still tasty. My partner, who has a love-hate relationship with vegetables, happily devours this recipe. But some day I will be organized enough to have multiple vinegars in my cupboard, and on that day I will bring up this recipe and taste it in its original form. In the meantime, it has totally earned its spot in my favourites folder.
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames October 9, 2013
Just wanted to say that I've made this several times since the recipe was posted. The leftovers are absolutely perfect, by the way, in three (or four) bean salad! I add in whatever dressing was left over from the night before, some edamame and kidney beans and some chopped marinated artichoke hearts if I have some hand, along with a fistful of chopped parsley. Voila! Making some of these beans tonight, and will continue to make them regularly until local green beans are no longer available which, alas, will be soon. ;o)
 
copywolf
copywolf August 20, 2013
I make a similar vinaigrette and here's a quick hint. If you use the squeeze bottles of Dijon rather than the jar (so convenient), when you get down to that last tablespoon or so of Dijon that's impossible to get out, just add the other vinaigrette ingredients to the bottle, shake and voila. The perfect container/dispenser and the full use of your mustard.