Summer Green Bean Salad

Warm summer days have a way of initiating spontaneous gatherings anywhere and everywhere. One minute you're going about your day as normal when a text from a friend announces itself with its familiar tone. After a few lines of conversation have passed, an invitation to meet at the park for a sunset family barbeque happens. This seems to be a welcoming reoccurring event for our family, where friends and family understand that planned (in advance) gatherings rarely ever work for us due to our chaotic family schedule. Instead, our community of friends we surround ourselves with have an unspoken understanding that spontaneity and flexibility work best for us, and if we are available later in the day to share a meal we will try and be there. Otherwise, if we can't make it, no one is offended. We agree to try again in the near future. Those days we do spend with our friends are treasured moments of relaxing and just hanging out over great food and conversation. Having a few go-to dishes I can solidly rely on removes any anxiety I may have when it comes to contributing a dish or two to a communal dinner.

Most of the time I've found the main dish, salad, desserts, and snacks are easily covered. What tends to be missing many times is a solid vegetable side dish, more specifically, a healthy green vegetable. Today I am sharing with you a great Summer Green Bean Salad recipe that can easily be pulled together and makes a great side dish for your family dinner or to be enjoyed at a potluck or get-together. The beans are cooked just long enough to retain their shape and firm texture. The beans are then transferred to an ice water bath to cease the cooking process. The vinaigrette I use to toss the beans is made from olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, fresh herbs, and just a touch of sugar to cut the high acidity from the lemon just a notch down. I also add thinly sliced red onions to enhance the visual appeal of the dish as well as its flavor. All in all this summer salad pairs well with just about anything, which means you can enjoy it all summer long!