Long Bean Salad is so easy to make and will quickly become your favorite summer recipe. It’s great served warm or cold or even as a side dish.
Two things – besides my husband – have been really HOT lately.
- Lemons (see Dark Zucchini Muffin post)
- Tomatoes (have you tried the Summer Heirloom BLT from Medocino Farms? It’s so damn good!)
My mom has a green thumb and thanks to her, we’ve been enjoying home-cooked meals with all the produce she grows since I was a child. Garlic, chili, tomatoes, scallions, ginger, and unlimited supplies of fresh Kieffer limes – YUM! To say I’m overwhelmed is totally an understatement.
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So the other day, she came in with a bag of long beans and the first thing that crossed my mind was…what do I need to do with these? Because obviously, I’m not gonna make any stir-fries in this hot summer weather. So there I was, tossing ideas back and forth, and I came up with this Long Bean Salad which includes both things that are HOT lately. Yep – lemons and tomatoes.
I grew up eating long beans a lot. I often include them in my gado-gado salad here or in this laksa. But this is my first time enjoying it as a slightly cold yet very refreshing salad. And the result is amazing. I couldn’t be any happier than this.
The ingredients
- Chinese long beans. Also known as asparagus bean or snake bean
- Tomato, either whole tomato or cherry tomatoes
- Zucchini or any vegetables you like
- Lemon for a light vinaigrette
- Mint to add an earthy flavor
- Almond for an extra crunch
- Garlic for extra richness
- Salt, pepper
How to make a long bean salad
- Cook cut long beans in boiling water for 5 minutes, or until tender crisp
- Preheat the griller and lightly oil grates. Place zucchini in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat and sprinkle with salt. Grill about 5 minutes per side, or until nicely seared and cooked to desired tenderness
- In a bowl, combine fresh lemon juice, 1 cup of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper; stir well with a whisk
- Combine green beans with the tomatoes and zucchini. Toss with the vinaigrette, mint leaves, and lemon zest
- Add almond just before serving
How to select good long bean
A good long bean has very tender and crisp strings and a chewy, crunchy texture. Avoid mature long beans that are limp or yellow or whitish-colored.
Variations
- If you like something spicy, add jalapeno or chili flakes
- Add more greens, such as roasted squash, roasted broccoli, cucumber
- Make a Thai salad dressing for an extra flavor
- Add more colors with thinly sliced red onion
Storing
Properly stored long bean salad can stay in the fridge for 3-5 days.
As for the vinaigrette, I’m making this easy lemon vinaigrette which you can store in the fridge for up to a month. So be sure to make extra and add this to your pasta if you’re tired of having it on salad.
Long Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chinese long beans trimmed, cut into 1” pieces
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 zucchini halved and sliced to ½” thick
- 1 tablespoon sliced fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 lemon juice + zest
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook cut long beans in boiling water for 5 minutes, or until tender crisp.
- Preheat the griller and lightly oil grates. Place zucchini in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat and sprinkle with salt. Grill about 5 minutes per side, or until nicely seared and cooked to desired tenderness.
- In a bowl, combine fresh lemon juice, 1 cup of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper; stir well with a whisk.
- Combine green beans with the tomatoes and zucchini. Toss with the vinaigrette, mint leaves, and lemon zest.
- Add almond just before serving.
David @ Spiced says
This sounds like an awesome summer side dish! I’m impressed with your mom’s green thumb. We have moderate success in our garden, but the rabbits always chow down on our beans and peas. And kieffer limes? Impressive! I suspect they won’t grow in upstate New York’s climate…but I kinda want to try now. Great way to use up those long beans, Linda!
Meghan says
This looks so great for hot weather!
Jade says
Already a huge fan of green beans but this lemon vinaigrette was amazing. I agree, you need a big batch of this to sit in the fridge and put it on everything.
Alyssa says
We love long beans and appreciate this new way to prepare them! Delish!
Shari Lynne says
I love how fresh this recipe looks! Not your usual Long Bean Salad..this is more elegant! I’m going to try it at my daughters Baby Shower brunch!