Crisp Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Feta, all tossed together in a simple vinaigrette! This dish is the first one to go when I serve it at BBQ parties!
If I could go back in time, I would have watched my diet a little more. Less cheese, less wine, less cheese, less wine, less cheese, less wine…are you getting the picture here? As we get older (and plumper) it becomes apparent that a few changes need to be made. So, slowly I’ve been swapping out some bad stuff (like cheese and wine) for the good stuff (like veggies and fruit). I swim on a regular basis and hey, I’ve lost 15 pounds…go figure! Who knew that all those small changes would add up to that!
Now, I admit my determination is sporadic….and some days nonexistent, but with a few good decisions I can usually turn things around so the day isn’t a complete diet wasteland. Weekends are the hardest. Mr. Laughing Spatula and I tear up the Seattle food scene. We leave dents in restaurant chairs and barstools all across this city. We spend copius amounts on dining – some people have boats, or vacation homes…..us?…we ‘do restaurants’. I have no plans on stopping my favorite hobby, but we are making some changes so we can live longer, and the longer we live, the more we can eat!
Of course Mr. LS has lost twice the amount of weight I have…because he ‘cut out carbs’..really? Was that before or after you ate that entire loaf of bread at Dukes?. Men and their metabolisisms…get me started. I’m trying to love him through it though….
Okay, where was I? Oh, the bean salad! If I’m going to saturate my diet with veggies and fruit. It’s going to be really good veggies and fruit! This is the first time I have made this recipe but I can see where it will quickly become a staple…and here I go again talking about leftovers for lunch the next day. I love me some good leftovers for lunch and this is a perfect addition to your half turkey sammie with no mayo or cheese on wheat bread…oh boy, the veggies are looking better every second!
NOTES to make this Bean Salad with Feta and Tomatoes
- The beans: I used Hericot Verts – a frenchie bean that is sweeter, smaller and more tender than your basic green bean. You can find them at Costco and Trader Joes these days. If you can’t find them, pick out the most slender beans you can find.
- Blanch beans for no longer than 2-3 minutes, or you will have wilted bean salad.
- I used a deep skillet in lieu of a large pot to blanch the beans. Much easier than trying to get all those beans in the pot and cooked at the same time.
- I rinsed the beans in cold water after blanching instead of ‘doing a Martha’, and submerging the beans in an ice bath…she has more time than me. My way worked pretty darn good.
So stay tuned for a few more healthy recipes…well except for next weeks post….Orangecello. Lemoncello’s tasty BFF…oh well, here comes another of those ‘sporadic determination’ days….hiccup.
What do you think about this recipe? Have questions? Comment below! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula, while you’re at it…We love to see your pics!
Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Feta
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh Hericot Verts or Green Beans
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove finely chopped garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot or deep skillet - bring enough water to boil to cover the green beans. When the water comes to a rolling boil - toss in the beans and blanch for no more than 2-3 minutes. Rinse under cold water until beans are cool. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add beans, feta, tomato halves and red onion.
- Toss it all together and chill for 30 minutes before serving.
- Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
This salad is gorgeous!! I could never give up wine… or cheese… but I definitely do love my fruits and veggies, especially when they are as fresh and beautiful as this salad!
Kathi,
Just finished the final touches on your Baked Ziti with Sausage and Bechamel. Good gravy goodness! Feeding hungry men tomorrow night and know this will be a total hit just by the smell AND look of it. Have it in the frig giving it time to get acquainted and meld flavors. It made such a huge portion I even have small casseroles in the freezer! Yippee!
Thanks for a new recipe,
Cindy
(Anne-Lauren’s Mom in Texas)
Dear Cindy – (aka: Anne-Lauren’s Mom in Texas 🙂 – Thanks for writing! I hope the Baked Ziti came out great – it’s one of my favorite recipes on my blog. The Béchamel is an extra step but isn’t it worth it! Love to hear how it came out!
Kathi
p.s. Anne-Lauren is a doll to work with!
You can find the Baked Ziti recipe here: https://laughingspatula.com/baked-ziti-sausage-bechamel/
Congrats on all of your healthy changes! This salad is just beautiful ~ pinning it for the next time I stock up on Trader Joe’s Haricot Verts (love them!)
Yum! This salad is going to be perfect for those hot summer days we have ahead of us!
I LOVE this post!
This salad is spring on a plate –
yellow & green, healthy and fresh.
What more could we want?!
Emma 🙂
Wow thanks for the great comment Emma!
Kudos to you, Kathi! I am fighting the same battle and 15 pounds gone is huge. But I like wine and cheese , whine, whine 🙂 This salad looks like it should be on my table. Thanks,
I get SO jealous of how fast my husband can drop a few pounds! It must be all that muscle, just burns calories while he’s doing nothing. Drives me nuts! Good for you for losing 15 pounds! That’s great! Eating yummy salads like this it probably doesn’t even feel like dieting : )
It ALWAYS feels like dieting..ha ha! I’ve got another 20 to lose but for the first time in long time, I feel like I just might get there! Hoping for some ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots someday…boy do I got the ‘before’ ones!!!