If you are taking your first steps in the kitchen, or you want to prepare dishes that don’t take too much effort or time, then Spanish recipes provide the best variety of options for you.
The cold bean salad is a simple yet delicious dish that only calls for a few main ingredients, and you don’t need any particular skills to make it at home.
To learn how to prepare it from scratch, with more tips for storing, serving, and customizing the ingredients, simply continue reading this article.
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Background of the Dish
Southern Spain is the place to go if you are looking for salads that are not only super fresh but also capture the essence of the region through their vibrant ingredients.
The cold bean salad mixes the green beans with tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, all dressed with the traditional blend of olive oil with vinegar.
Still, Andalusia isn’t just cold bean salad recipes, it is also the home of other timeless classics like the satisfying grilled veggie salad, the colorful Spanish salad bowl, and the refreshing Spanish tomato salad.
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Things You’ll Need for Cold Bean Salad
The only ingredients needed to make one of the best cold green bean salad recipes are green beans, tomatoes, red bell peppers, onion, garlic cloves, olive oil, and vinegar.
Ingredients
- 450gr green beans
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon cilantro (optional, for topping)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan or manchego cheese (optional, for topping)
How to Make Cold Bean Salad – Step by Step Guide
- First, trim the ends of the green beans and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a pot with water and a tablespoon of salt, and boil for about 5 minutes. Drain and put them in a bowl with cold water to cool them down. Drain again and set aside.
- In the meantime, peel and mince the garlic clove. Cut the bell pepper in half, remove and discard the seeds and stem, then chop into small pieces. Cook them in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender.
- To continue with this cold green bean salad recipe, peel and chop the onion into thin slices. Wash the tomatoes, cut them in half, discard the seeds, then chop them into small squares.
- Now, grab a large bowl and mix the cold green beans, onion, tomatoes, cooked garlic, and bell pepper, and season with salt and pepper. Take the green beans cold salad to the fridge for 30 minutes to cool.
- Finally, toss the cold bean salad around and add the olive oil with the vinegar. Once the Spanish salad is dressed, you can serve it topped with fresh herbs and grated cheese, or as it is.
Substitution of Ingredients
The cold bean salad stands out among Spanish salad recipes because it is super simple to make, you can prepare it all year round, and there are some substitutions that you can follow if you don’t have all of the ingredients at home.
To spice things up in this cold bean salad recipe, you can add chili flakes, cayenne pepper, crushed jalapeños, or a dash of hot sauce while incorporating the dressing.
Besides that, you can add vegetables from other traditional Spanish salads, like avocado slices from the ensalada de aguacate or sliced tender beets from the ensalada de remolacha.
Similar to the apple manchego salad, adding grated cheese while serving is an amazing way to add more flavor and a soft texture, but you could use another type of cheese like Parmesan, feta, or goat cheese for a different twist.
Tips on Serving Cold Bean Salad
The cold bean salad is usually served as a side dish for lunch or dinner, but it can also be served as an appetizer, being the perfect way to start a delicious meal.
The cold green beans salad calls for the classic Spanish salad dressing, but you could use a different one like a balsamic vinaigrette, honey-mustard dressing, or a drizzle of hot sauce to go with the olive oil.
You could turn this cold bean salad into a main dish if you include other ingredients such as the toppings, such as chopped Spanish chorizo, grilled chicken, seafood, or hard-boiled eggs.
Other Spanish salads recipes that are commonly served as a main dish are the fantastic Spanish octopus salad, the popular ensalada de bacalao, the delicious ensalada de gambas, and the refreshing ensalada de naranjas.
How to Store Cold Bean Salad
Once you finish making the recipe for cold green bean salad you can serve it fresh, or store it in the fridge for up to 3 days (in a covered airtight container).
A key rule to follow is to keep the dressing separate from the cold bean salad until you’re ready to serve; this helps prevent the ingredients from becoming too soggy.
Before serving, give the cold bean salad a gentle toss to redistribute the seasoning, do a taste test, and include the dressing and more salt and pepper if needed.
Other Spanish salads that you can similarly prepare at home and store are the timeless classic warm white bean salad or the beloved mixed bean salad.
Recipe Card: Cold Bean Salad
Cold Bean Salad Recipe
If you are taking your first steps in the kitchen, or you want to prepare dishes that don't take too much effort or time, then Spanish recipes provide the best variety of options for you.
The cold bean salad is a simple yet delicious dish that only calls for a few main ingredients, and you don't need any particular skills to make it at home.
To learn how to prepare it from scratch, with more tips for storing, serving, and customizing the ingredients, simply continue reading this article.
Ingredients
- 450gr green beans
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon cilantro (optional, for topping)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan or manchego cheese (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Trim the ends of the green beans and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a pot with water and a tablespoon of salt, then boil for about 5 minutes. Drain and take them to a bowl with cold water to cool them down. Drain again and set aside.
- Meanwhile, peel and mince the garlic clove. Cut the bell pepper in half, remove and discard the seeds and stem, then chop into small pieces. Cook them in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender.
- Peel and chop the onion into thin slices. Wash the tomatoes, cut them in half, discard the seeds, then chop them into small squares.
- In a large bowl, mix the cold green beans, onion, tomatoes, cooked garlic, and bell pepper, and season with salt and pepper. Take the cold green bean salad to the fridge for 30 minutes to cool.
- Toss the cold bean salad around and add the olive oil with the vinegar. Once you add the dressing to the green bean cold salad, serve it optionally topped with fresh herbs and grated cheese.
Notes
To make this Spanish salad recipe heartier, you can add chopped Spanish chorizo, Serrano ham, bacon bits, or grilled chicken.
The addition of fresh chopped herbs and cheese is optional in this traditional Spanish salad, but it takes the flavor and texture to the next level.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 117Total Fat 4.4gSaturated Fat 0.6gCholesterol 0mgSodium 17mgCarbohydrates 17.4gFiber 4.5gSugar 4.6gProtein 3.7g
Hola, I’m Paulina! Together with my team, we are passionate about Southern Spain. Here we share all you need to know for great times in Southern Spain with the best places to visit, stay and, of course, the best food to eat.
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