This is a perfect summery side dish: crisp-tender green beans tossed with a light, lemony vinaigrette. It’s simple, tasty and very easy to make. 

Even though the vinaigrette is delicious as is, I added a small amount of Dijon mustard for a little added pizazz. To make sure that each green bean was evenly coated with the dressing, I tossed the green beans first with the vinaigrette before piling them on the plate and drizzling with more vinaigrette. I substituted thinly sliced red onions for the shallot, and finished with a sprinkle of kosher salt and some freshly ground pepper. Yumm!

Green Beans Vinaigrette
-recipe from Marthastewart.com

On their own, lettuce, radicchio, green beans, or corn might be a tad ho-hum. But toss them with Lemon Vinaigrette, and you’ve got four stellar sides to sample. Keep a jar of the dressing in the fridge, and let it upgrade all sorts of veggies.

Makes 6 servings.

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds green beans, stem ends trimmed
1 shallot, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Fill a medium bowl with ice water; set aside. Set a steamer basket in a large saucepan with a lid. Fill with enough salted water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Place green beans in basket, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pan; steam until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer beans to ice water to stop cooking; drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Place on a serving platter. Top with shallot, and drizzle with vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper. 

Lemon Vinaigrette
Try using this lemon vinaigrette to upgrade all sorts of veggies. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup olive oil

In a medium bowl or jar, combine lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, coarse salt, and ground pepper. Whisk, or cover and shake, until salt and sugar have dissolved. Add oil; whisk or shake until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Tags: green beans, lemon vinaigrette, Quick Cooking, Side Dish