This haricot vert salad is made with French green beans (haricots verts), toasted almonds, and a quick homemade honey mustard dressing. Serve it warm or cold for an easy side dish!
We've been eating lots and lots of green beans lately.
Seriously, a lot of green beans!
Recently, I bought a few bags of haricots verts (French green beans) at Trader Joe's, only to discover later that day that my garden green beans appeared early! It was a happy surprise.
Right away, I started serving green beans with (almost) every meal.
I love making green bean almondine, but (for me) it's a little heavy to serve on a daily basis. This haricot vert salad is inspired by my green bean almondine, but is a lot lighter and faster to prepare.
This recipe is similar to one of our most popular recipes, green bean salad with almonds.
Over the years, I've tweaked the recipe slightly, but because you guys love our original recipe so much, I didn't want to change it. Instead, I'm sharing this version separately.
Looking for more fall salads? Try these: spinach mandarin orange salad, shaved brussels sprouts salad, brussels sprouts + persimmon salad, delicata squash salad, mushroom salad with ginger dressing, and a kale apple salad.
What are Haricots Verts?
Haricots verts are French green beans.
They're long, thin, and tender.
I regularly see fresh haricots verts at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.
Can I Swap Regular Green Beans Instead?
Yes!
If you can't find fresh haricots verts, you can swap fresh green beans.
Can I Use Frozen Haricots Verts Instead?
You can, but if you add them to the pan frozen, you'll probably need to increase the cook time slightly.
Make sure your beans are totally thawed (and warm!) before serving them!
Can I Use Canned Green Beans Instead?
No, not in this recipe, but check out this canned green bean salad instead.
How to Toast Almonds for a Haricot Vert Salad
In my original green bean salad recipe, I toasted the almonds in a non-stick pan. However, after the movie Dark Waters scared me into tossing out all my non-stick cookware, I've been toasting my almonds in either olive oil or butter.
I like to use a large pan so that I can cook the green beans in it afterwards.
For this haricot vert salad, I toast the almonds in olive oil.
Simply add raw almond slivers to a little olive oil, and cook over medium-low heat until the almonds turn golden.
Scoop the almonds out of the pan, leaving the oil behind.
How to Steam Green Beans
Cook a little garlic in the leftover oil until it begins to sizzle and becomes fragrant.
Carefully pour some water into the pan. Stand back while you do this, it might splash.
Add the green beans and cover the pan.
Let the beans steam for just a few minutes, and then uncover the pan.
Cook for about two more minutes, and then turn off the heat.
At this point, the beans should be tender but still crisp.
Serving Haricot Vert Salad
Scoop the beans out of the pan, leaving behind the steaming liquid.
Place the beans in a serving bowl and toss them with an easy honey mustard dressing. Finally, sprinkle the almonds over the green beans.
Serve this haricot vert salad along with French mashed potatoes, herb butter salmon, and a glass of crisp white wine.
Haricot Vert Salad
Ingredients
Haricot Vert Salad:
- 1 pound fresh haricots verts (French green beans)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup raw almond slivers
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoon salt
Honey Mustard Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅛ cup white wine vinegar Or use rice vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
- Trim the stems of the beans with a chef's knife. Cut beans into 2" - 4" pieces, as desired, or leave whole if preferred.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan or wok over medium-low heat. Add the almond slivers and toast 2-3 minutes, or until the almonds are golden.Remove the almonds from the pan, leaving the oil behind. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and increase the heat to medium.
- Add garlic, and sauté about 1 minute or until fragrant.Standing back in case of splash-back, pour the water into the pan. When water starts to boil, add the green beans, and cover the pan. Allow beans to steam for about 3 minutes.
- Uncover pan, and continue to cook beans for about 2 more minutes. Add salt and toss green beans. Remove from heat.
- Add beans to a serving dish, discarding any remaining liquid. To make ahead of time, stop here. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve, and do not mix the beans with the dressing or almonds until just before serving. Use within 1 day.Pour dressing over the beans, add almonds, and toss to incorporate. Serve immediately.
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