Green Bean Salad with Corn, Basil & Black Olives
This vibrant summer salad goes well with just about any entree. Be sure to get ultra-fresh beans and corn and blanch them just long enough to tenderize them and bring out their color. If they are available, use salt-cured black olives, which provide the best complement to the crisp vegetables.
From EatingWell: March/April 1995, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004)
Yield: 8 servings
Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green beans, trimmed
- 3 ears corn, husked
- 1/2 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 2/3 cup black olives, halved and pitted
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
- Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Put a large pot of water on to boil. Fill another large pot half full with ice water. Blanch about half the green beans in the boiling water just until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into the ice water. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining beans.
- Return the water to a boil. Add corn and blanch until tender but still crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into the ice water. Cut the kernels off the cobs.
- Add the corn to the beans in the bowl. Add bell pepper, onion, olives, basil, oil, vinegar, lemon juice and garlic; toss to mix well. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper.
- Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2. Store green beans and corn separately, in plastic bags lined with paper towels, in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.
Nutrition Per serving:
155 calories; 9 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 3 g protein; 5 g fiber; 147 mg sodium; 425 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (45% daily value), Vitamin A (15% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 2 fat