As an avid veggie gardener, I have developed dozens of fresh green bean recipes over the years! This chilled green beans with basil vinaigrette recipe is a favorite way to prepare them when I need a quick make-ahead side dish for dinner guests in the summer.

the green beans with the basil dressing drizzled over it up close with a few edible flowers on top

What my make-ahead Orange Ginger Green Beans are for wintertime, this green bean salad with basil dressing is for summer! It’s one of the best hot-weather green bean dishes to to prep in advance. Whether it’s for serving to company or you’re meal prepping for the week- this recipe is easy to make ahead and serve with little effort. Of course, everyone loves our fabulous Skillet Green Beans Recipe, made with garlic and red pepper flakes, but this chilled recipe is great for those hot summer nights when a cool meal is in order! 

Recipe Highlights

  • Only takes 20 minutes to make.
  • Since they’re served chilled, it’s an excellent make-ahead recipe!
  • You can easily double the recipe and serve it to a crowd.

Table of contents

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More Chilled Summertime Green Beans

In you’re needing more ideas for what to do with your garden fresh green beans this summer, try some of these chilled make-ahead friendly recipes too!

tomatoes, green beans and goat cheese on a large oval platter

Tomato Green Bean Salad
the salad on a platter from overhead on a gray and white plastic placemat

Chilled Corn and Green Bean Salad
the potato salad on a gray board with a linen towel and large serving spoon

Italian Potato Salad with Green Beans
More Ways To Cook Green Beans

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

  • Green Beans: Use fresh green beans and not frozen. Trim the stem ends and discard any string beans that are rotting or mushy.
  • Garlic: A little fresh garlic is excellent in the salad dressing. You can sub in another allium like finely chopped shallot.
  • Fresh Basil Leaves: You’ll need about 1/2 cup.
  • Pantry Staples: Extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, freshly ground pepper, kosher salt

How to Make This Chilled Green Bean and Basil Salad Dressing

Step 1: Cook and chill the green beans

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water for an ice bath. Add green beans to the boiling water, stir to submerge and cook until the beans are crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to the ice bath. Let sit in an ice bath until chilled, drain and transfer to serving platter.

Step 2: Make basil vinaigrette

Meanwhile, chop garlic. Sprinkle with salt and continue to chop and mash with the side of a chef’s knife until it forms a paste. Puree basil, olive oil, vinegar, Dijon and the garlic salt mixture in a blender or mini-prep food processor until smooth.

Step 3: Assemble chilled green bean salad

Pour the salad dressing over the green beans and grind pepper over to taste.

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a light gray oblong platter with green beans topped with dressing and edible flowers on a white and blue table cloth and yellow napkin

FAQs and Expert Tips

Storing instructions:

Store the cooked, chilled green beans and dressing separately in airtight containers so the green beans don’t get soggy. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.

Make-ahead instructions:

These beans can be made up to a day in advance. Refrigerate beans and dressing separately. Shake or stir the dressing and then drizzle over the cooked green beans when you are ready to serve.

Variations to try:

You could try making this recipe with wax beans (yellow green beans) as well. You could also turn this into a hot side dish for colder days, and disregard the step where you dunk them in an ice bath. Try any of our other salad dressings too!

green beans with vinaigrette on a gray platter

More Green Bean Recipes

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Green Beans with Basil Vinaigrette

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5 from 4 reviews

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Description

Cold cooked green beans with basil vinaigrette salad dressing is a simple summer side dish that can be prepped ahead for serving to company or for meal prep. 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound green beans, stem end trimmed off
  • 1 small clove garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water for an ice bath. Add green beans to the boiling water, stir to submerge and cook until the beans are crisp tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to the ice bath. Let sit in ice bath until chilled, drain and transfer to serving platter.
  2. Meanwhile, chop garlic. Sprinkle with salt and continue to chop and mash with the side of a chefs knife until it forms a paste. Puree basil, olive oil, vinegar, Dijon and the garlic salt mixture in a blender or mini-prep food processor until smooth.
  3. Pour dressing over the green beans and grind pepper over to taste.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: SIde dish
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 68
  • Sugar: 2 g
  • Sodium: 234 mg
  • Fat: 5 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 6 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 1 g

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I first shared this recipe on July 22, 2013.