Green Bean Salad with Corn, Basil & Black Olives

From EatingWell: March/April 1995, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004) — Subscribe Now!

This vibrant summer salad goes well with just about any entree. Be sure to get ultra-fresh beans and corn and blanch them just long enough to tenderize them and bring out their color. If they are available, use salt-cured black olives, which provide the best complement to the crisp vegetables.

Green Bean Salad with Corn, Basil & Black Olives Recipe

8 servings

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

2 pounds green beans, trimmed
3 ears corn, husked
1/2 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup black olives, halved and pitted
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
Hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Fill another large pot half full with ice water. Blanch about half the green beans in the boiling water just until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into the ice water. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining beans.
Return the water to a boil. Add corn and blanch until tender but still crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into the ice water. Cut the kernels off the cobs.
Add the corn to the beans in the bowl. Add bell pepper, onion, olives, basil, oil, vinegar, lemon juice and garlic; toss to mix well. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2. Store green beans and corn separately, in plastic bags lined with paper towels, in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.

Nutrition

Per serving: 155 calories; 9 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 5 g fiber; 147 mg sodium; 425 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (45% daily value), Vitamin A (15% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 2 fat