Asian Green Bean Salad! Looking for a great way to utilize your garden (or farmers market) abundance of green beans? This simple salad is the perfect way to highlight those delicious green beans in a delicious way.
Healthy, simple, and delicious, this Oil Free Asian Green Bean Salad features a zesty, sweet citrus dressing that’s drizzled over nourishing green beans. The dressing is very light, yet flavorful, and refreshing. If you love crisp green beans and Asian flavors, then you will fall in love with this salad too.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
Let me just say that I LOVE plain blanched green beans; I could eat them all day. They are so delicious and refreshing.
I have found that there are people who do not share my love of crisp green beans, like my Dad. Dad wants his green beans cooked to mush, which I also enjoy as well.
If you love those crisp, blanched green beans in a light flavored dressing where the green beans are the star, then you will love this light and refreshing dish too.
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: This Asian Green Bean Salad features bright Asian flavors over top of green beans and mandarin oranges. The dressing is very light, yet flavorful, and refreshing. If you love crisp green beans and Asian flavors, then you will love this salad.
- Green Beans: This recipe is all about fresh green beans. You can use canned, but the culinary experience is not the same. Frozen green beans work as well, but again, not quite the same. If you are not a lover of crisp green beans, blanched, barely cooked, then perhaps skip on this recipe.
- Mandarin Oranges: You can use fresh mandarin oranges that are peeled, segmented, and the seeds are removed. We used Dole Mandarin Oranges in 100% fruit juice for convenience and consistent flavor. Use ½ cup of the mandarin oranges in the salad dressing and then use the rest (or as much as you want) tucked throughout the salad and a generous portion on top.
- Tamari/Maple Syrup: The tamari (salty) and maple syrup (sweet) balance each other out. Feel free to increase either or reduce either, to suit your personal tastes.
- Dressing: The dressing is on the lighter side as intended. It is not a pow-in-your-face type of dressing. The green beans are meant to shine in this dish. The dressing is a light complement.
- Flat Container: We used a flat container for the green beans to marinate in the refrigerator. This is so there is maximum layering of green beans to dressing coverage. If refrigerating for a long period of time, we suggest, tossing the green beans around in the dressing every now and then.
- Thickness of the Dressing: The dressing is on the thinner side. It is light and refreshing. It thickens in the refrigerator.
- After Refrigeration: Right before serving, remove this dish from the fridge and place on a serving platter, tuck in the mandarins and top with additional mandarins and toasted sesame seeds, then pour the remaining dressing over top. Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to wake up.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 4 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered container.
This salad cannot be frozen.
Pantry Products:
- Mandarin Oranges: We used Dole Mandarin Oranges in 100% fruit juice.
- Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.
- Miso: We used Miso Master Organic Mellow White Premium Lite Miso, Certified Gluten Free. Miso really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil. You can also use chickpea miso for a soy free version.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Kitchen Products:
- Large stock pot (to blanch the green beans)
- High-speed blender or food processor
If you try these simple and tasty green beans, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
PrintOil Free Asian Green Bean Salad
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 3 Minutes
- Total Time: 18 Minutes
- Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
- Category: Salad, Side
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian Inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Healthy, simple, and delicious, this Oil Free Asian Green Bean Salad features a zesty, sweet citrus dressing that’s drizzled over nourishing green beans.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- 1 ½ lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed
- ½ cup finely chopped green onions (+/-)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 Tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari (+/-) *
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (+/-) *
- ½ teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon tahini
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger (+/-)
- 1 Tablespoon white miso *
- Pinch to ¼ teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
- ½ cup mandarin oranges *
Optional Topping Ingredients:
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Mandarin oranges
Instructions
- Fill a large stockpot with water, bring to a boil. Add the green beans, boil (blanch) uncovered for 3 minutes until bright green. Drain into a colander and immediately run cold water over them until cold. Drain well to remove any lingering water. Pat dry, if necessary, set aside.
- Place all the Dressing Ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor. Process until smooth and emulsified.
- Place the green beans and chopped green onions into a flat container. Pour the dressing over top, mix well to evenly coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or longer) until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, toss the green bean/onion mixture once again, then remove from the flat container and place on a serving platter. Tuck in extra mandarin oranges between the layers of green beans. Then top with additional mandarin oranges on top, and sprinkle generously with toasted sesame seeds. Then pour the remaining dressing over top. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Servings: 4 to 6
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