This is a five-ingredient green bean and cherry tomato salad with a sharp mustard-garlic vinaigrette. It takes 25 minutes start to finish, the prep is mostly hands-off while the beans blanch, and it works as a side dish any night of the week. No special equipment, no hard-to-find ingredients.
Substitutions that actually work
- Green beans: Haricots verts (thin French beans) work well and cook even faster โ about 2 minutes in boiling water. Frozen green beans are not a good swap here; they go soft and watery.
- Red wine vinegar: The recipe already suggests apple cider vinegar, which is a solid choice. White wine vinegar also works. Balsamic will overpower the beans โ skip it.
- Dijon mustard: Whole-grain mustard gives a slightly milder, nuttier result and adds visible texture to the dressing. Either works.
- Red onion: If raw red onion is too sharp for your taste, use thinly sliced shallots instead โ theyโre milder and blend into the dressing more quietly.
Before you start
The blanch-and-ice-bath step is the one thing worth doing carefully. Three minutes in hard-boiling salted water, then straight into ice water โ this stops the cooking immediately and locks in the color. Skip the ice bath and the beans keep cooking from residual heat, turning drab and soft by the time you dress them. The other thing that matters is drying the beans thoroughly before they go into the bowl. Wet beans dilute the dressing and it slides right off; a few minutes on a clean kitchen towel makes a real difference to how well the vinaigrette clings.
Mistakes to avoid
- Under-seasoning the dressing: Taste the vinaigrette before it goes on the salad. Green beans need more salt than you expect โ season assertively or the whole bowl tastes flat.
- Slicing the onion too thick: Thick red onion slices dominate every bite. Go thin โ a mandoline or a sharp knife and patience. The onion should be present, not the main event.
- Skipping the 5-minute rest: The recipe calls for letting the dressed salad sit briefly, and it matters. The onion softens slightly and the vinaigrette works into the beans. Serving it immediately makes it taste underdressed.
- Dressing it too far ahead: Dress it at the table โ a pre-dressed salad goes limp fast. If youโre making this ahead, keep the dressing separate and combine just before serving.
- Not cutting the beans evenly: Uneven pieces mean some bites are mostly onion and some are mostly bean. Keep the 2-inch cuts consistent so every forkful is balanced.
Keeping it fresh
Store the blanched, dried beans and the halved tomatoes separately from the dressing in airtight containers in the fridge โ theyโll hold well for up to 2 days. Once dressed, the salad is best eaten within an hour; the tomatoes release juice and the beans soften noticeably after that. If you have leftovers already dressed, theyโre still fine to eat the next day but the texture will be softer โ more of a marinated bean salad than a crisp one. The dressing keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week, so make a double batch if you want it ready for another night.
Chilean Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 300 grams green beans trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 200 grams cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
Dressing Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin for the best flavor
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 salt to taste
- 1 ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and pat dry.
- In a large bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes and red onion with the blanched green beans.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine, ensuring an even coating.
- Let the salad sit for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Yes, but keep the components separate until youโre ready to serve. The blanched beans and tomatoes will keep refrigerated for up to 2 days, and the dressing keeps for a week โ combine them right before eating for the best texture.
Do I have to use cherry tomatoes, or can I use regular tomatoes?
Regular tomatoes work fine โ just dice them into roughly cherry-tomato-sized pieces so they distribute evenly. Choose a firm, ripe variety; a watery tomato will make the dressing pool at the bottom of the bowl.
How do I keep the red onion from being too overpowering?
Slice it as thin as possible and let it sit in the dressing for the 5-minute rest before serving โ this takes the raw edge off. If you want to go further, soak the sliced onion in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding it.
Is this salad served warm, at room temperature, or cold?
Room temperature is best. The beans come out of the ice bath cold, so by the time youโve assembled everything and let it rest 5 minutes, itโs at a good serving temperature. Cold straight from the fridge mutes the flavors of the vinaigrette.
What can I serve this alongside to make it a full meal?
It pairs well with anything grilled โ chicken, fish, or sausages. The sharp vinaigrette cuts through richer proteins cleanly. It also works next to a simple frittata or alongside crusty bread and cheese if you want to keep things vegetarian.
Can I add protein to make it more filling?
Crumbled feta or toasted almonds (both mentioned in the recipe notes) are the easiest additions and keep the salad vegetarian. Canned white beans stirred in also work well โ they absorb the dressing nicely and add substance without changing the overall character of the dish.