Green Bean and Tomato Salad 🍅

A fresh, vibrant salad infused with classic Greek flavours – simple, flexible, and delicious! This dish brings together crisp green beans, juicy tomatoes, briny olives, and creamy feta – all tied together with a zesty oregano-garlic dressing. It’s easy to customize: swap oregano for basil, use chopped tomato instead of cherry, or add capers if you're not a fan of olives. A handful of chopped rocket 🍃 gives it an extra peppery kick. You can even replace the green beans with thin asparagus (just be gentle when tossing to avoid snapping the tips 😉)

Ingredients

• 400g green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds

• 200g roma or cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted if preferred

• 1 small or 1/2 Spanish onion, finely chopped

• 150g crumbled feta or grilled halloumi pieces

Optional add-ins:

• Capers (instead of olives)

• Chopped rocket  🍃

• Whole chopped tomato (if no cherry/roma)

• Basil instead of oregano

• Thin asparagus (instead of green beans – be gentle when tossing!) 😉

Dressing

• 2 tbsp white or red wine vinegar

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• 1 tsp dried oregano (or substitute with basil)

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• ¾ tsp salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

Method

1. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or jar. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.

2. Prepare the green beans:

   • Trim the ends and wash beans.

   • Cut into bite-sized pieces (thirds).

   • Boil a medium pot of salted water.

   • Add beans and cook for 2 minutes, until just tender-crisp.

3. Cool the beans:

   • Drain beans into a colander.

   • Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking and keep the bright green colour.

   • Once cooled, drain and blot dry with paper towel if needed.

4. Prep remaining ingredients:

   • Halve the tomatoes.

   • Chop the onion.

5. Assemble the salad:

   • In a large bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, onion, and olives (or capers/rocket if using).

   • Add dressing just before serving and toss gently until coated.

6. Add the cheese:

   • Fold in crumbled feta or halloumi just before serving.