Looking for a new green bean recipe? Tangy Green Bean Ciliegine Salad with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and radishes is a great side dish, naturally gluten free with tangy homemade dressing and crispy bacon.
Father’s Day is this weekend! What do you have planned? Picnics? A trip to the beach? Lounging poolside? Whatever it is, I’m betting food is involved. Dad food. You know, the kind of stuff that throws calorie-caution to the wind. Dad food is all about hedonistic flavor with none of that namby-pamby “voice of reason” whispered by Mom. Well, it’s his day after all, so this Tangy Green Bean Ciliegine Salad is amped up with all the things that Dad loves!
I’m using my Dad and my husband as the universal “Dad models” here. Both share a prickly disdain for mushy vegetables – so these green beans are anything but! Blanched in boiling water for just a few minutes before taking the vegetable version of the “ice bucket challenge.”
The rest of the vegetables are “peak of the season” fresh, including ripe tomatoes and a colorful blend of crunchy radishes. To amp up the “indulgence quota,” I’ve added balls of fresh mozzarella or ciliegine. They’re soft, creamy and definitely add to the “wow” factor in this salad.
And this may look like just another vinaigrette, but it’s got a secret ingredient too… Rendered bacon fat. Not a lot, but enough to lend that unmistakable smoky nuance. Whole grain pommery mustard adds tanginess and minced shallots straddle the line between garlic and onion. In other words, it ain’t Wish Bone Italian…
To finish the salad — BACON! Crumbled and tossed throughout every nook and cranny. This may be a side dish, but it won’t be overlooked!
More tasty salads:
- Fresh Corn and Avocado Salad
- Grilled Summer Salad
- Mexican Chopped Salad
- Tuna White Bean Puttanesca
- Belgian Endive and Walnut Salad
- Grilled Vegetable Caprese
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Hearts of Palm Salad
- Tomato Peach Caprese
Tangy Green Bean Ciliegine Salad
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 strips bacon thick cut
- 1 pound green beans or haricot verts, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup tomatoes seeded cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup ciliegine small mozzarella packed in water, cut in half or 1 cup of diced fresh mozzarella
- ½ cup radishes assorted, very thinly sliced
for the dressing
- ¼ cup shallot minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons bacon fat rendered from cooking the bacon
- 1 tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons parsley freshly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
DIRECTIONS:
- In a medium frying pan, cook the bacon over medium to medium high heat until crispy, flipping several times. Transfer bacon to a small plate covered with paper towels to absorb excess grease. Crumble or chop the bacon. Set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons of rendered bacon fat for the dressing.
- Create an ice bath in a large bowl (ice and water) and set aside. Bring a medium saucepan (about 6 cups) of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook until crisp tender about 2-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the green beans to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. When the beans are cold, drain off the water and pat the beans dry with paper towels. Transfer the beans to a large bowl.
- Add tomatoes, ciliegine and radishes to the green beans and toss to combine. Set aside.
For the dressing
- In a small bowl combine the shallot, rendered bacon fat, mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, black pepper and kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and use a pair of tongs to toss the salad in the dressing until completely coated. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
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Well, anything with bacon in it is a winner for my hubby so this will be a nice treat for father’s day! Looks delish! Thanks for sharing!
I was hoping to appeal to a man’s appetites with the bacon!
New recipe using green beans and I am all in. Love the addition of mozzarella in it.
I think green beans are under-utilized in salads and they happen to be my husband’s favorite veg…
Love the colours… just screaming summer (while I am trying to keep my feet and fingers warm ;P) . It’ll be great for BBQ 😀
Oh my – where are you from that your fingers and toes are cold?
I absolutely love salads this time of the year and this dressing sounds wonderful! I can’t wait to make this…and then devour it immediately! 🙂
We eat salads all summer long– they’re simple to make and the veggies are so fresh!
Now that sounds like a salad I can get behind. Plenty of dressing and lashings of flavour!
absolutely!
Now that summer is here colorful and not heavy salads like these are such a valuable asset to have. i really like all the great ingredients here!
So glad you like it Meeta! Thanks for your comment!
I love the dressing on this green bean salad! I also love the addition of radish which would give this salad a slight spiciness. Perfect for summer!
Thanks so much!
I don’t know, in this house, this is MOM food! Love all the colors and flavors going on, this will definitely happen here this weekend, and Dad can have a little bit, too 😉
Yes – a little bit for everyone! Glad you like it, Sue!
Great idea for a different side salad. I love to try new sides at picnics! And with the bacon it definitely has Dad written all over it!
This is definitely a “Dad salad” Beth! It’s really good!
Your photos are absolutely drool worthy!! This looks like a fantastic salad!
Thank you Sara! I’m always trying to improve my photography!