Our yellow bean salad is loaded with delicious yellow and green beans, fresh mint, pine nuts that have all been smothered in a tangy dressing. A favourite side dish at parties, barbecues or at family dinners.
What’s the difference between yellow and green beans?
Apart from the obvious colour difference which can be attributed to chlorophyll, yellow beans have been bred to have none of that pigment. They are also sweeter and much more tender than green beans and require less cooking time.
Are yellow beans the same as wax beans?
Yellow beans, yellow snap beans and wax beans are one and the same thing. The great thing about them is that, unlike green beans, they don’t lose their sunny yellow hue after cooking.
You will need…
Can i just use green beans?
Absolutely, this salad will be just as tasty no matter what type of bean that you use yellow, green, purple, snake, flat or even tinned beans such us butter beans or red kidney beans are great to use as a substitute.
How to prepare yellow beans
Preparing yellow beans is similar to green beans but they need to be watched carefully when cooking as the don’t take as long to cook.
- Place the beans in a colander and rinse in the sink under cold running water, discard any wilted or brown beans.
- Grab a few beans at a time, line them up and trim off the ends.
- Yellow beans are bred to be stringless so there is no need to remove the strings.
- Pick up the bunch and tap to line up the opposite end and then trim opposite ends.
- Place a pot of water in a pan and bring to a rolling boil, drop in the yellow beans and boil for approximately three minutes or until tender but still firm.
- Drain and refresh under cold water.
How to make this salad
1PREPARE BEANS
Wash and trim beans, cut them in half. Bring two pots of water to the boil and then add the green beans in one and the yellow beans in the other pot.
Boil them until they are tender approximately 5-10 minutes for the green or 3-5 minutes for the yellow, they should be tender yet firm. (Though admittedly as I was making this salad for Mum and Dad I cooked the beans a bit longer than I usually do as they like them a bit soft.)
Refresh in the sink under cold running water.
SLICE GREEN BEANS IN HALF SLICE YELLOW BEANS IN HALF ADD GREEN BEANS TO POT ADD YELLOW BEANS TO POT BLANCH GREEN BEANS TIL TENDER BLANCH YELLOW BEANS TIL TENDER REFRESH YELLOW BEANS IN COLD WATER REFRESH GREEN BEANS IN COLD WATER
2PREP REMAINING INGREDIENTS
Add dressing ingredients to a glass jar, season and shake well until emulsified.
Wash and dry mint and strip the leaves from stems.
ADD DRESSING INGREDIENTS TO JAR SHAKE DRESSING TO COMBINE STRIP MINT LEAVES FROM STEMS
3ASSEMBLE SALAD
Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Pour over the dressing and mix well to combine, taste adjust seasonings according to your liking.
Arrange in a salad bowl and serve.
ADD ALL INGREDIENTS TO BOWL POUR OVER DRESSING MIX WELL TO COMBINE
What can I serve with Yellow Bean Salad
This is a great salad to serve at a barbecue as the sharp and tangy dressing partners beautifully with grilled meats. Try it with…
- A perfectly grilled steak
- A pork belly roast
- Chicken schnitzel
Can I make it ahead?
This is a salad that you can prepare most of the components for the day before and just toss together.
- The day before…
- you can wash and trim your beans
- blanch them to your liking, drain and refresh them under cold running water
- pat the beans dry and keep in a covered container in the fridge
- make up the dressing and keep it in a sealed glass container in the fridge
- On the day….
- wash, dry and strip the leaves from your mint
- place the beans, pine nuts and mint leaves in a mixing bowl, season and pour over the dressing.
- mix well to combine then serve
What about the leftovers?
This salad can still be enjoyed a couple of days after making it even though the mint will discolour.
Another salad that I love to bulk up the next day by adding a tin of tuna or salmon for an easy light lunch.
Some more bean salads to try…
Ingredients
- 350 grams yellow beans (approximately 12.35 oz)
- 350 grams green beans (approximately 12.35 oz)
- ¼ cup mint leaves fresh
- ¼ cup pine nuts roasted
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsps Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tbsps American mustard (also known as yellow mustard)
Instructions
- Wash and trim beans, cut them in half. Bring two pots of water to the boil and then add the green beans in one and the yellow beans in the other pot.
- Boil them until they are tender approximately 5-10 minutes for the green or 3-5 minutes for the yellow, they should be tender yet firm.*
- Refresh in the sink under cold running water.
- Add dressing ingredients to a glass jar, season and shake well until emulsified.
- Wash and dry mint and strip the leaves from stems.
- Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Pour over the dressing and mix well to combine., taste adjust seasonings according to your liking.
- Arrange in a salad bowl and serve.
Video
Notes
- Though admittedly as I was making this salad for Mum and Dad I cooked the beans a bit longer as than I usually do as they like them a bit soft.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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