Turn simple summer green beans into a flavorful masterpiece with this Herb Pesto Green Bean Salad recipe. Tossed in an herby homemade pesto, this easy salad takes 15 minutes to put together and is perfect for picnics, barbecues, or dinner parties.
While green beans chill, make the pesto. In a food processor, add toasted walnuts, olive oil, ½ lemon juiced, and garlic. Blend until smooth.
Then add chopped dill, chopped parsley, vinegar, mustard, and salt.
Blend until smooth.
Green beans
Before you cook the beans, prepare an ice bath - fill a large bowl with ice and cold water.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add the green beans that were trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces. Cook for 2 minutes.
Use a strainer or tongs to immediately transfer the beans to the ice bath. Let them chill in the bath for 5 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat the beans dry before tossing in the pesto.
Add the beans to a bowl, toss with the pesto. Squeeze the other half of the lemon and sprinkle a pinch of flaky salt if needed and toss again.
Transfer to a serving dish. Serve immediately.
Notes
Making ahead - The pesto can be made 2 days ahead of time. To store in the fridge, press a piece of plastic wrap on the top of the pesto in an airtight container so it doesn’t brown.
Freezing pesto - Pour the finished pesto into ice cube trays. Let the pesto cubes freeze, then transfer them to a ziploc bag and freeze for about 2 or 3 months. Just let them sit on the counter or in the fridge for a few hours to thaw.
Storing - Store the leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.