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Heirloom Tomato and Green Bean Salad

Discover how easy it is to prepare a delicious Heirloom Tomato and Green Bean Salad for a wonderful summer side dish.

It is official, the end of summer is approaching. I just had pay one last homage to summer by sharing this fresh and colorful side dish recipe!

We are so lucky today that we enjoy a variety of produce in our markets. Heirloom tomatoes have been gaining in popularity the past few years. With good reason, they come in interesting colors and have delicious flavor.

A tomato and green bean salad delivers a lot of visual interest and is a beautiful side dish. This cool side dish will be a welcomed meal while the temperatures still soar.

“A tomato and green bean salad delivers a lot of visual interest and is a beautiful side dish. This cool side dish will be a welcomed meal while the temperatures still soar.”

Since heirloom tomatoes do have a shorter shelf like, meaning you’ll want to use them right away, this fresh and light side dish is a great option. Although I include a bit of orzo pasta in the recipe, this salad is still not heavy.

Green Bean and Tomato Salad with Orzo

Colorful tomato and green bean salad side dish

If you’ve been searching for green bean and tomatoes recipes, you’ll have to give this one a try. I would gladly serve this to guests too.

Easy Salad Side Dish

Here’s what you’ll need (no need to pull out a pen and paper, you’ll find the full printable recipe at the end of the post): A couple of regular size heirloom tomatoes, cherry heirloom tomatoes, fresh green beans, orzo, capers, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley.

cutting tomatoes and fresh green beans to make a salad

Easy Green Bean Tomato Salad

Step 1: Begin by doing a bit of prep work. Remove any stems from the green beans and cut the beans in half if they’re really long. Next, cut the larger tomatoes into chunks then cut the majority of the cherry tomatoes in half. I leave some of the cherry tomatoes whole to add more visual interest to the dish. Next, chop some fresh parsley and set aside for garnish.

Step 2: The next step is to cook the pasta. Orzo pasta is a big rice looking cut of pasta. I especially love using orzo in soups. Cook the pasta. When the pasta is done, drain and rinse under cold water until cool then drain again.

While the pasta cooks, we’re also going to blanch the green beans by brings some water to a boil, adding a little salt. Once the water boils, add the green beans and cook for five minutes. Drain the green beans and rinse under cold water until cool.

Making a cold green bean salad

Step 3: Add the pasta and green beans to a large mixing bowl along with the tomatoes then add the drained capers.

Step 4: Prepare a light dressing by combining the lemon juice and olive oil in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together with a little salt and pepper. Drizzle over the salad mixture and lightly toss everything to coat. Next, plate the salad mixture on a platter for serving and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Green Bean and Tomato Pasta Salad

Easy cold green bean salad recipe

Customize this easy salad recipe to make it your own with the addition of different seasonings and herbs to suit your taste.

Fresh tomato and green bean salad served cold

The salad can be chilled in the refrigerator for up to an hour before serving.

Cold Green Bean Salad

Heirloom Tomato and Green Bean Salad - delicious recipe - clean and fresh salad

Let’s make this Heirloom Tomato and Green Bean Salad!

Yield: 1 Salad Dish

Heirloom Tomato and Green Bean Salad

Easy Green Bean and Tomato Salad on a vintage yellow platter with beautiful salad utensils from Italy

Easy side dish recipe made with vibrant tomatoes, fresh green beans and orzo pasta lightly dressed

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Heirloom Tomatoes (2 medium tomatoes using different varieties)
  • 12 oz Cherry Heirloom Tomatoes
  • 1 lb Fresh Green Beans
  • 1 c Orzo Pasta
  • 11 c Water, divided
  • 1.25 tsp Salt, divided
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 3 tbs Capers, drained
  • 3 tbs Olive Oil
  • 3 tbs Lemon Juice
  • Fresh Parsley
  • Kosher Salt (to season finished salad)

Instructions

  1. Being by removing any stems from the green beans and cut the beans in half. Set the beans aside for blanching.
  2. Next, cut the larger tomatoes into chunks and set aside.
  3. Then cut the majority of the cherry tomatoes in half leaving about 1/3 whole.
  4. Next, chop two tablespoons of fresh parsley and set aside for garnish.
  5. Cook the orzo pasta by adding 3 cups of water to a medium sauce pan. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and bring the water to a boil.
  6. Next add the orzo pasta to the boiling water and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. When the pasta is done, drain and rinse with cold water until cool.
  7. Allow to drain completely and add to a large mixing bowl.
  8. As the pasta cooks, blanch the green beans by bringing 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
  9. Add a 1/4 tsp of salt then add the green beans and cook for 5 minutes.
  10. Drain the green beans and rinse under cold running water until cool then add the beans to the large mixing bowl with the pasta.
  11. Next, add the tomatoes to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. 
  12. Add the drained capers to the salad mixture.
  13. Prepare the dressing by whisking together the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season with 1/4 tsp of Salt and 1/4 tsp of ground black pepper. Mix to combine then drizzle the dressing over the salad mixture.
  14. Gently toss the salad mixture to combine all of the ingredients with the dressing.
  15. Serve on a platter garnished with fresh copped parsley.
  16. Give the salad a final seasoning with a pinch of kosher salt. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 146Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 535mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 4gSugar: 10gProtein: 4g

See this recipe at Weekend Potluck and Meal Plan Monday

You might also enjoy this recipe for Shelly’s Spaghetti Pasta Salad from Soulfully Made.

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