Holiday Cooking & Baking Recipes: Green Beans with Walnuts, Cranberries and Blue Cheese Recipe

blue cheese

🥗Healthier: feta cheese

💰Cheaper: goat cheese

Feta provides a tangy flavor with fewer calories.

walnuts

🥗Healthier: pumpkin seeds

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Pumpkin seeds offer a similar crunch with lower cost.

dried cranberries

🥗Healthier: fresh cranberries

💰Cheaper: raisins

Fresh cranberries are lower in sugar and raisins are often cheaper.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Canola oil is often less expensive while still providing a neutral flavor.

Blanch 2 pounds of green beans in hot water for about 3 minutes until crisp.

Transfer the blanched green beans to an ice bath to cool them down.

In a bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of roasted walnut oil, 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar, 1 heaping teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper to make a vinaigrette.

Drain the green beans, ensuring not too much water remains, and add them to the bowl with the vinaigrette.

Add 3/4 cup of roasted walnuts and 1/3 cup of dry cranberries to the green beans.

Chop and add 1/2 of a medium shallot to the mixture.

Toss everything together to ensure the green beans are well coated with the vinaigrette and mixed with the walnuts, cranberries, and shallots.

Transfer the salad to a platter and top with a little bit of blue cheese, if desired.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens