Crunchy Green and Red Salad
Crunchy red onions and crisp green beans make up this green and red salad. It’s truly a super simple salad that takes full advantage of garden or farmer’s market produce.
Only three ingredients make up this cool, crunchy salad. You can make it up in a couple of minutes and serve alongside your grilled supper. No sweat!
Summer means salad. When it’s too hot to cook, it’s often tough to work up much of an appetite. In fact, there are quite a few summer nights, we simply bypass supper and just eat a bowl of ice cream.
I know that sounds like poor parenting, right? Well, if you eat a balanced diet the majority of the time, then who cares if you “play hooky” once in a while.
I picked up some really nice, big, juicy red onions at the grocery. I didn’t realize they were juicy until I sliced into them. Wow! Talk about fragrant, too! I think red onions are so pretty! They have a bit more bite than I normally like, but my husband loves them in large chunks.
I love the look of the rings and layers in red onions. You just don’t have that contrast in yellow or white onions.
The trick to slicing onions … everybody always wants to know, how do you slice them without crying a river?
I’ve heard many options – slice under running water, cut with a stainless steel knife, rub lemon juice under your nose, think happy thoughts and ignore the smell. Now, if any of those tricks work for you, please let me know!
I’ve found that a good sharp knife that makes clean cuts is better than a dull one that mashes its way through the onion. I’ve seen those glass jars with the chopper top, that keeps the onion odor all contained. These are two things that really work. I usually just have a clean kitchen towel handy to wipe away the tears.
Crunchy Green and Red Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 c Red Onion
- 2 c Green Beans
- 1/2 c Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing
Recipe Directions:
- Slice the red onion into thin slices and cut the slices into half inch pieces.
- Blanch green beans.
- Toss red onions and green beans with dressing.
For #ConvenieceCooking, I used a bottle of Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing that I found at my grocer. Its one of my go-to short cuts. However, if you’re trying to control sodium or corn syrup in your diet, you may want to make up your own dressing. It is nearly as easy as opening the bottle I have in the fridge.
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 TB Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 1/2 c Olive Oil
Recipe Directions:
- Mix all ingredients together.
You can’t get much easier than that for homemade, now can you?
[bctt tweet=”Three ingredients. Red Onion and Green Bean Crunchy Salad with a balsamic dressing. Can’t go wrong! ” username=”ApronFreeCook”]
Approximate Nutritional Information:
Servings Per Recipe: 4, Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250, Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 0g, Sodium: 208mg, Carbs: 47g, Protein: 6g
Make It a Meal:
Serve with sandwiches for a cool supper. Add to the potluck table at your next family gathering. Package individual servings in Mason jars and take for lunch at work. This salad can go places!
This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days but doesn’t freeze well. I suggest making smaller portions frequently if you want to eat this often. Since it’s easy to make up, you won’t mind repeating the steps every few days.
I also used frozen green beans, since the ones in my garden are not quite ready. Blanching is a quick cooking method that anybody can do. It is a simple process, with a fancy name.
Fill a pan with water and bring it to a boil. Fill another large pan with ice water. Fill a heat proof strainer or colander with the green beans. Place the colander of green beans in the boiling water for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove the colander and plunge the beans into the ice water.
For safety, use hot pads or pot holders … a metal colander will get pretty darn hot sitting in boiling water. If you have a large slotted spoon or a long handled strainer, you could place the green beans directly into the water. Then use your spoon or strainer to scoop the vegetables out to place in the ice water.
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I make something similar adding ripe tomatoes. It’s perfect for summer!
Oh Lisa! I’ll bet that’s a pretty salad! Red, green and white! Talk about the flavors of summer!
This looks so yummy and easy to make! Thanks for sharing
Blessings,
Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com
Thanks for stopping by Edye,
Let me know if you make this salad, and how your family likes it!
Such a deliciously fresh and easy side dish to whip together! Looks great!
Vicci,
Try it… you won’t believe how fast this comes togehter! #ConvenienceCooking at it’s best!
Love how simple this is!
Christine,
Isn’t that a beautiful thing?
I love picking the best of seasonal produce to come up with a fresh and flavorful side salad… This looks tasty!
I love fresh produce … just wish I was better at gardening! Thank goodness for farm stands and farmers markets!
You can never go wrong with Balsamic vinegar! It has a great taste and can add a little kick to everything. What I like most about this recipe is the simple ingredients and simple instructions. Sometimes you gotta keep it simple and fast. Love this!
Oh Mica, You know life gets too busy somedays for complicate recipes… I enjoy that kind of cooking when I have all day to putter in the kitchen, but most of my days are not that way.
I love green beans but have never thought of putting them in a salad until now!!! Great post!
Green beans, they’re a favorite aren’t they!! Try this recipe…you’ll love it!
This has everything that I love in it! I’ve never thought about putting them all together though, great idea!
Jump in, Joanna,
Mix up your favorite things and try it, if you love them individually, you’ll really love them together.
I love beans but I have never added balsamic vinegar to it before. I LOVE the idea!! I make green beans often so gonna try this soon. Saving this for later. YUM!
Thanks Veena, I’m glad you love this idea. The balsamic does a nice job of making the flavors pop.
When simple ingredients blend together to make tasty dishes, you can never go wrong. This looks like the perfect side dish for so many meals….and hey add a bit of protein and call it a dinner salad too.
I like the way you think, Gloria! Protein and dinner coming right up!
;Who says dishes have to be complicated to taste good? We used to eat green beans with just a little salt and pepper after they were cooked. Your salad looks very tasty with just the onion and dressing.
Classic way to eat green beans – salt and pepper. That’s almost perfection. Simple dishes allow the flavor to shine through.
Quick, easy and healthy. Gotta love side dishes like this.
All of my favorite reasons for making a dish, right?! Quick, easy, healthy. Doesn’t hurt that it tastes good, too!
Such a simple and wonderful recipe! I have to try this with the balsamic dressing!
Catherine, let me know how you like it. I’ll bet you’ll find it’s a winner.
I grow green beans in my garden and sometimes I harvest a lot this is a nice recipe to make with different taste. Must do soon!
I love garden fresh green beans … they make the best recipes! I had to use frozen because fresh were out of reach for me. sigh.
I love how easy this recipe is. My husband would love it. I have seen him bite into an onion like an apple on occasion.
Husbands! mine is always sneaking a piece of onion off the cutting board … there’s been times I’v had to slice and dice a second onion because he’s snagged so many bites!
This is my kind of salad, I make curries with this green beans and red onions. Never thought of salad. Thanks for sharing the idea. I will try it. simple salads always best.
I need to try more curries … I’ve only made one or two recipes. Now I have a goal, thanks!
I always said I was not a fan of red onion, but I keep realizing I do like it in certain situations. I think pretty much anything will be tasty with that homemade dressing!
I’m with you on the “not a fan” category … because I’ve learned that sometimes, I love red onions! LOL