This green bean salad is one of my favorite ways to enjoy green beans! With sweet-and-tangy balsamic vinegar, black olives, scallions, and hard-boiled eggs, it’s a great make-ahead dish for potlucks and summer cookouts.
Green Bean Salad Recipe
This easy green bean salad is so flavorful, and it tastes even better the next day! If you’ve ever had a Niçoise salad, the flavor is a little like that, except instead of being made with a big assortment of veggies, this one’s all green beans. I love this as a light summer lunch, but because it can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature, it’s also a good choice for picnics and backyard barbecues.
Why This Green Bean Salad Works
This recipe dates all the way back to my earliest days as a blogger. After so many years of blogging, sometimes I like to revisit those older recipes. There are a lot that I really love and want to re-share in case you haven’t seen them yet!
Green beans are one of my favorite summer vegetables. They might not get as much attention as tomatoes and sweet corn, but it’s hard to beat crisp, fresh green beans. This salad puts them front and center.
- Perfect for making ahead: The flavors develop as the salad sits and the beans marinate in the balsamic dressing.
- Short ingredient list: You only need 6 ingredients, plus salt and pepper.
- Packed with texture and flavor: Tender green beans, creamy eggs, bright balsamic dressing, and briny olives make this one of those salads that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below are the ingredients for this green bean salad. See the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Fresh green beans: To save time, you can buy pre-cut, pre-washed green beans.
- Black olives add a salty, briny flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar gives the dressing tang, but also some sweetness.
- Extra-virgin olive oil forms the base of the vinaigrette.
- Scallions for mild onion flavor and a crisp texture.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: I like to use freshly ground black pepper because it has a little more warmth.
- Hard-boiled eggs: Not sure how to cook them? Here’s how to make stovetop hard boiled eggs, air fryer hard-boiled eggs, and Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs.
How to Make Green Bean Salad
This green bean salad comes together with just a few simple steps.
- Cook the green beans: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until tender-crisp, about 6 minutes.
- Cool the beans: Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well.
- Make the salad: In a large bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the green beans, scallions, and olives and toss to coat.
- Finish and serve: Top with the sliced hard-boiled eggs. Refrigerate until ready to serve or enjoy at room temperature.
Green Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 24 oz 6 cups string beans beans, ends trimmed
- 2.25 ounce can sliced black olives, drained (check labels for Whole30)
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 medium scallions, chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh black pepper, to taste
- 5 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Place green beans in a large pot and cover with water, about 6 cups. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook until tender crisp, about 6 minutes (don’t overcook or they will get mushy).
- Drain and rinse under cold water when done to prevent them from overcooking, drain.
- In a large bowl, combine balsamic, oil, salt and pepper. Toss in the green beans, scallions and olives.
- Mix well and top with sliced eggs. Refrigerate and serve chilled or room temperature.
Last Step:
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Tips from Gina’s Test Kitchen
- Trimming the beans yourself is less expensive than buying pre-cut bagged beans. To do this quickly, gather the beans in a small pile, lining up the tips on one side, then cut the tips off with a single slice using a large chef’s knife. Flip the pile over and do the same on the other side.
- Since the ingredients are simple, using a great tasting extra virgin olive oil and a good quality balsamic vinegar makes the salad.
- After rinsing the beans, be sure to dry them well. Excess water can dilute the dressing.
Variations
- Add crumbled blue cheese or shaved Parmesan.
- Swap the black olives for Kalamata olives, or add even more brininess by adding capers too.
- Use yellow beans or an heirloom variety instead of green beans.
- Add cherry tomatoes for extra color and freshness.
Storage
Store this green bean salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If I’m making it for a party, I usually add the hard-boiled eggs just before serving.
