This fragrant salad is perfect for a summer buffet or picnic. The beans are tossed with all the other ingredients while they are still hot, which allows them to absorb as much of the flavors as possible. Adding the vinegar to the beans when they are hot causes some of the acidity from the vinegar to evaporate while maintaining all its richness and flavor.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Yield: | serves 4 to 6 people |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Yield: | serves 4 to 6 people |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds green beans
- Salt
- 12 large green olives
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons finely shredded fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Fill a pot large enough to hold the green beans with water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
- While the water is heating, snap off the ends of the beans and rinse them in cold water. When the water comes to a boil, salt it generously (about 1 teaspoon per quart of water) and put in the beans. Cook until they are tender all the way through but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes.
- While the beans are cooking, sliver the olives by slicing the flesh away from the pits. Lightly crush and peel the garlic cloves, shred the basil, and coarsely chop the oregano. Put the olives, garlic, basil, oregano, and capers in the salad bowl you will be using.
- When the beans are cooked, drain them well and add them to the salad bowl. Add the vinegar and toss. Add the olive oil, toss again, and taste for salt. Let stand at room temperature for about 3 hours and remove the garlic cloves before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 50 |
| Total Fat | 1 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 300 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 50 |
| Total Fat | 1 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 300 mg |
Reviews
I just made these recently and they got rave reviews from the whole crowd! I have a hard copy of this cookbook and it calls for 5 tablespoons on extra virgin olive oil.
My husband thought these were the best green beans he’s ever tasted. We will definitely be making them again!
This is a great recipe…leave it alone or add to it….roasted red peppers works great. I just wanted to thanks Michael (Ithaca, NY)…I was in the midst of cooking up a storm for the Fourth of July and noticed there was no mention of the amount of olive oil to use….I am sure that I could have figured it out, but the mind was going in ten thousand directions. By chance , I decided to check the reviews and there it was…the amount of oil that works…Thank you Michael!!
Heidi, stuck in Tennessee
Heidi, stuck in Tennessee
Very flavorful & low calorie!
I brought these to a potluck dinner. I thought they were ok, but noone else really liked them. I ended up throwing a lot of them away.
I was looking for something different to take on a picnic and this turned out pretty good. Love the olives and capers!
These steam from the green beans perfectly absorbs all of the flavor of the red wine vinegar. Add the fresh herbs and these beans are amazingly good, and amazingly healthy! I like to throw in some small diced chunks of brie cheese, too, while their still hot. It adds a creamy surprise to each bite!
I tried this recipe, adding sliced mushrooms and it tasted great. I took it to a potluck dinner and it was a perfect compliment for our picnic theme that evening.