French Green Bean Salad with Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese

French Green Bean Salad Recipe with Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese

Hello! We're going to prepare a salad that combines garden freshness with creamy cheese and the crunchy touch of nuts. It's a vibrant dish, full of textures and perfect for those looking to eat well without complications, ideal for showing off at the table with very little effort.

Preparation time

Getting organized before starting is key to enjoying the cooking process without stress. Here's the time breakdown for you to plan your menu:

• Preparation: 15 minutes
• Cooking: 5 minutes
• Total: 20 minutes
• Servings: 4 people
• Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

For this recipe, we will focus on the quality of fresh produce. Remember that as a salad with few elements, the flavor of each one is the star.

For the salad base

• 500 grams of green beans (string beans), preferably French for being thinner
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts (or chopped walnuts), toasted (Optional)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1/4 of red onion
• 1/4 cup or 50 grams of goat cheese (or blue cheese according to preference)

For the vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar of white wine, apple or walnut
• 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In case you don't have French green beans, you can use conventional green beans, just make sure to remove the side fibers well if they are very thick. If the flavor of goat cheese is too intense for you, you can substitute it with feta cheese or panela cheese for a milder version, although you will lose some of that characteristic creaminess. If you are looking for something more fruity, similar to a spinach and orange salad, you can add mandarin segments, although the original recipe remains perfect as is.

Utensils we will use

You don't need sophisticated equipment to achieve a restaurant-quality result; these kitchen basics will be enough:

• Medium pot for boiling water
• Large bowl or basin with water and ice (inverted bain-marie)
• Pasta or vegetable strainer
• Chef's knife and cutting board
• Small jar with lid or small bowl for the vinaigrette
• Spoon or small whisk
• Plate or flat platter for serving

Preparation

The secret to this salad lies in the precise cooking of the vegetables to maintain their color and texture. Follow these steps to achieve that perfect crisp point.

1. Cleaning the green beans. Wash the green beans very well under the tap with cold water to remove any remaining dirt. Dry them lightly and place an organized bunch on the cutting board. With a knife, cut off the tips or edges from both sides; this not only improves presentation but also makes for a more pleasant bite.
2. Cutting the onion. Take the quarter of red onion and place it on the cutting board. Make very thin cuts to obtain thin slices (feathers). If the taste of raw onion seems too strong to you, you can submerge it for 5 minutes in cold water and drain it before using.
3. Cooking the vegetables. Heat water in the pot over high heat. It is important that the water is abundant so that the green beans can swim freely. Once it is boiling vigorously, add the salt (be generous, as if it were seawater) and carefully add the green beans.
4. The exact point. Let the green beans cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Don't stray from the kitchen. We're looking for them to be soft but still firm («al dente»). A good trick is to try one: it should crunch slightly when you bite it, but not taste raw.
5. Thermal shock. While they boil, prepare the bowl with cold water and ice cubes. As soon as 4 minutes have passed, remove the green beans and immediately submerge them in the ice water. This stops the cooking abruptly and sets that beautiful bright green color. Leave them there for a couple of minutes until they are cold to the touch.
6. Drying. Drain the green beans in the colander. Then, spread them out on a clean kitchen towel or absorbent paper and dry them well. This step is vital: if they are wet, the vinaigrette will slide off and the flavor won't soak in.
7. Vinaigrette preparation. In a small bowl or jar, combine the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the teaspoon of vinegar, the half teaspoon of Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper. Whisk vigorously with a fork or shake the closed jar until the mixture looks opaque and unified (emulsified).
8. Initial mixing. In a large bowl, place the dried green beans and the sliced red onion. Pour the vinaigrette over them and mix with enveloping movements so that everything is well impregnated with flavor.

To finish and serve

For the final assembly, serve the green beans on a wide plate or platter. Arrange them all straight, aligned in the same direction; this detail makes them look pretty and organized, immediately elevating the presentation. Once aligned, sprinkle toasted walnuts or hazelnuts and dried cranberries on top for color. Finally, crumble the goat cheese (or blue cheese) with your fingers over the salad. If you wish to modify the quantities of the toppings to your liking, feel free to do so. Serve immediately to enjoy the freshness, or refrigerate for 15 minutes if you prefer it colder. Accompany it with a good piece of rustic bread or use it as a side dish for grilled fish. If you like colorful presentations like in the tricolor pasta salad, you will see that the intense green of the green beans with the white of the cheese creates a wonderful visual contrast.

Nutritional Information

This recipe is light but nutritious, thanks to the healthy fats from the nuts and olive oil. Here is an estimate per serving:

• Calories: 145 kcal
• Proteins: 4 g
• Fats: 11 g
• Carbohydrates: 10 g
• Fiber: 4 g

Note: Nutritional values are approximate and may vary depending on the specific brand of cheese or the type of nut you decide to use at home.

5 keys to make it perfect

Sometimes, small details make the difference between a normal salad and a memorable one. Here I share my secrets:

1. Drying is key: I insist a lot on this because water is the enemy of oil. If the green beans have water from washing or cooking, the vinaigrette will dilute and sink to the bottom of the plate, leaving the vegetable flavorless. Take an extra minute to dry them with paper.
2. Toast the walnuts: If you use raw hazelnuts or walnuts, give them a quick pass through a dry pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. The heat releases their essential oils and makes them much crispier and more aromatic. This smoky touch combines divinely with cheese, similar to what we do in the caramelized pear salad.
3. Subtle onion: The onion cut should be almost transparent. We want it to provide a spicy and acidic touch, but not to overwhelm the entire palate or be unpleasant when chewing large pieces.
4. Oil quality: Being a dressing with only 5 ingredients, use your best extra virgin olive oil. That fruity flavor will elevate the dish completely.
5. Assemble at the moment: If you are going to take a while to serve, store the ingredients separately. Add the nuts and cheese just before bringing to the table so that the nuts do not soften with the moisture from the green beans and the cheese maintains its texture.

When is it ideal to enjoy it?

This salad is extremely versatile and adapts to many situations. It is perfect for a light summer lunch when we don't want to turn on the oven or get hot, as it is fresh and digestive. It also works wonderfully as a first course at an elegant dinner, as the aligned arrangement of the green beans offers a sophisticated presentation. Due to its red (cranberries), green (green beans), and white (cheese) colors, it is a fantastic side dish for the December holidays, competing worthily with the classic Christmas apple salad. In addition, it is very easy to transport in a tupperware for the office if you carry the dressing separately.

Comparison table

So you can see how this recipe stands against other popular options, I have prepared this comparison:

If you're looking for something more substantial than this green bean recipe, you might prefer a carbohydrate option like the bacon potato salad, but for lightness and elegance, green beans are unbeatable.

Frequently asked questions

Share your experience

Cooking is for experimenting and sharing. I'd love to know how this salad turned out for you or if you dared to try a different type of nut. Did you like the contrast of the goat cheese? Leave your comment and share your own little tricks to inspire us all!

Culinary glossary

To help you move like a fish in water in the kitchen, here are the meanings of some terms we used today:

• Blanch: A quick cooking technique in boiling water followed by abrupt cooling (thermal shock) to set the color and leave the food cooked but firm.
• Al dente: An Italian expression indicating that the vegetable or pasta is cooked but offers a slight resistance when bitten, it is neither soft nor mushy.
• Emulsify: It is the process of mixing two liquids that normally do not combine (like vinegar and oil) by whisking until a homogeneous and creamy sauce is achieved.
• Sliced/Feather: A thin cut of onion following the line of its fibers, resulting in thin and elongated strips.
• Thermal shock: The step of submerging hot vegetables in ice water to immediately stop the cooking.