Marinated Summer Green Bean Salad

grew up eating this refreshing salad in the summer- my mom used tender-crisp fresh green beans and juicy cherry tomatoes 😊  The longer the salad marinates, the better.  It will last in your refrigerator for at least 3 days (Day 2 and 3 are my favorite).  The marinade makes an incredible salad dressing for leafy greens, or a marinade for a protein of your choice, so make extra!

Serves: 4-6

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 4 hours of marinating

What (your ingredients):

1 lb. fresh summer green beans

1 lb. cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon excellent extra virgin olive oil

½ tablespoon champagne white vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or a spicy brown mustard works well too)

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

How (your directions):

In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water to a boil with a pinch of salt.  Place fresh green beans into boiling water and set a timer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and cold water and set aside.  Once beans are cooked, immediately transfer to the ice bath (blanching stops the cooking process and prevents the bright green color from fading or changing to a greyish-olive color).

While the beans sit in the ice bath, prepare the marinade.

In a large serving bowl, combine olive oil, champagne white vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Whisk until combined.

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and place in marinade.

Using tongs, transfer the green beans to the bowl with the tomatoes and toss until well combined and the marinade has coated each vegetable.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Serve cold or room temperature as a side to your favorite summer entrée!

Why (the science):  Green beans are an excellent source of vitamin K, one of the fat-soluble vitamins, and is important for proper blood clotting.  Each cup of green beans provides more than 20% of your daily vitamin K needs!