Fresh Green Bean Salad with Blue Cheese and Dijon

Wow!  What a couple of days in Florida!  I wanted to get this blog out early this morning, but a certain Hurricane Dorian took priority.  Between yesterday and today I have all of my supplies.  My sister is giving me an extra 24 bottles of water, and Amazon came to the rescue with batteries and a portable cell phone charger.  It is always nerve-wracking to prepare for hurricanes, but the latest report, as of Thursday at 1:00 p.m. says Dorian may become a Category 4 storm, so I'm not fooling around!  

So, onto this awesome green bean salad!  I found this recipe on the How Sweet Eats blog by Jessica Merchant.  It is a such a delicious side dish!  I swapped out the blue cheese in favor of goat cheese.  I did use the Dijon mustard in the dressing.  I tried a substitution the first time I made the recipe, but I made it a second time with the Dijon.  I prefer the Dijon, but just know that Dijon is off plan because of the vinegar.

Fresh Green Bean Salad with Blue Cheese and Dijon

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh green beans
• 1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
• 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (Note:  I substituted crumbled goat cheese.  You could use a vegan Parmesan, too!)

Dijon Dressing

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs (chives, basil, etc.)  (Note:  I used basil.)

Instructions:

• Start by blanching the green beans.  Prepare an ice bath - fill a large bowl with ice and cold water.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Once boiling, add the green beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.  Use a strainer to immediately transfer the beans to the ice bath.  Let them chill in the bath for 5 minutes.  Pat the beans dry with a paper towel.
• Place the beans on the plate and give them a light sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Drizzle on the Dijon dressing.  Top with the crumbled blue cheese and walnuts.  Serve immediately.  This is incredible cold - like leftovers right out of the fridge.

Dijon Dressing

• In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and mustard.  Whisk in the oil until the dressing is emulsified.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper along with the herbs.  Whisk to combine.  Any extras of this stays great in the fridge for a few days - it just has to be whisked and stirred before using!

Fresh Green Bean Salad with Blue Cheese and Dijon

This salad is so tangy and tasty, as well as beautiful!  Who wouldn't want to serve this alongside chicken or a steak, if you are not eating a plant-based diet?  I hope you will try this recipe!