Green Bean Salad

First of all Merry Christmas! I hope you are spending the day surrounded by your loved ones, enjoying warmth, laughter, good company, and of course good food. From my family to yours, wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year!

Today I'm sharing a little red and green with you! This was a delicious tangy side dish that was a lovely addition to our Hallmark viewing party spread recently. The vinegar adds such a nice zip and serving this as a cold salad was a nice change of pace for a green bean side dish. I love the combination of the grape tomatoes and creamy feta as well. The original recipe calls for slivered almonds and sliced red onions as well. We're not big fans of raw onion in this house, but the slivered almonds would add a lovely crunch if you have them or would like to try that addition.

Green Bean Salad adapted from Jamie Deen

Ingredients
1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed and cut into thirds or halves
1 cup grape (or cherry) tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cup feta crumbles

Dressing:
3 TBS olive oil
2 TBS white or red whine vinegar
1 TBS dried basil
1 TBS minced garlic
1/4 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
Salt

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil green beans about 8-10 minutes, until they are tender but still a little crisp. Drain the beans and pour them into a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process.
2. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, vinegar, basil, minced garlic, a sprinkle of salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine until emulsified.
3. Drain chilled green beans well. Pour the dressing over the green beans and add in the tomatoes, and feta cheese. Gently toss to combine. Taste test, and adjust the seasonings as desired (more vinegar, salt, add some garlic powder if you'd like, etc.)