Description
This cool and refreshing Marinated Green Bean Salad is packed with summer veggies. If you want to make this a one-dish dinner, add 2-3 chopped, grilled chicken breasts.
Ingredients
16–20 ounces fresh or frozen green beans
1/2 8-ounce package sliced mushrooms
2 small or 1 medium/large zucchini or summer squash, halved and sliced
8 ounces fresh mozzarella (pears or a ball cut into 1/2″ pieces)
2–3 ounces pepperoni, quartered (optional)
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
1 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced
8–12 ounces high-quality Italian dressing (make your own or use something like Newman’s Own; if you don’t use chicken, 8 ounces should be plenty)
Instructions
Cook the beans until tender-crisp (see directions below). Place in a large serving bowl. Add all other ingredients except for dressing and toss. If you’d like to make this an easy one-dish dinner, add 2-3 cooled, grilled chicken breasts. Add 1 cup of salad dressing and stir to combine. Add more dressing as necessary. Cover and allow to stand at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
You don’t want to overcook these beans–they should be bright green and still crisp.
microwave instructions
- If using frozen beans, cook according to package directions
- If using fresh green beans, place in a covered microwave-safe dish with 2-3 tablespoons water. Cover and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from microwave and test doneness; if necessary, cook a little longer (1-2 minutes at a time) until desired doneness is reached.
Stovetop
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse in cool water.