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!
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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
- 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.
- 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.
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)
✨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)
Now, pour the dressing over the beans (Image 6) and toss to combine. (Image 7)
Next, crumble on the feta cheese. (Image 8)
Toss again, adjust the seasonings according to your tastes, then plate with more lemon, chives, salt, and pepper. Enjoy!
✨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.
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
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
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
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 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.
- 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.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
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.
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