Serve up those green beans in a whole new way with my authentic German Green Bean Salad. In German, it's called Grüner Bohnensalat. The tangy flavors of the simple vinaigrette and the crunch of the green beans complement any meal, and it's perfect for potlucks. Serve as a side with grilled meats, crusty warm sourdough bread with butter. Some cheese. Yum!
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS GERMAN GREEN BEAN SALAD (GRÜNER BOHNENSALAT)
The Ingredients for the German green bean salad (Grüner Bohnensalat) are simple. Right now in the height of summer, green beans are in abundance, and I love taking advantage of seasonal produce. Although, green beans are widely available in supermarkets all year round.
Step 1: Prepare Beans
Just trim the ends of the beans, and snap them into halves or thirds. Wash and cook them in salted water until softened. Then drain the beans and add them to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, finely chop half of a yellow or white onion. Add them to the beans.
Step 2: Make the Dressing
I'm using two kinds of vinegar in my recipe. Mainly I'm using white distilled vinegar, and to give it a bit more of the authentic German flavor, I'm also adding a little of Kräuter Essig, a herbed vinegar that I love. Neutral vegetable oil is needed for this dressing. No olive oil, please. I used Sunflower oil, salt, pepper, Savory (Bohnenkraut), and a little sugar to balance out the vinegar. Mix, then pour the dressing over the still-warm beans. Combine, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to cool at room temperature, then let it rest in the refrigerator for 8 hours for all the flavors to develop. Enjoy!
HOW TO MAKE GERMAN GREEN BEAN SALAD - VIDEO TUTORIAL
MORE GERMAN RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE
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Recipe
German Green Bean Salad (Bohnensalat)
Ingredients
Vegetables:
- 2 lbs green string beans
- 1 cup yellow onion (½ onion, finely chopped)
Marinade/Dressing:
- ⅓ cup white distilled vinegar (I used Heinz brand)
- 2 tablespoon Herb Vinegar (I used German Kräuter Essig, but can be substituted with white balsamic vinegar)
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried savory, or dried marjoram (Savory is called Bohnenkraut in German)
- ¼ cup sunflower oil (or any other neutral vegetable oil like canola etc.)
Instructions
- 1. Wash and cut your beans into half or about 2-inch pieces.2. Bring a large pot with water and some salt to a boil over medium/high heat. Add the beans and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the beans have softened. 3. Meanwhile make the dressing: In a small bowl combine the vinegar with the sugar, salt, pepper, and the savory. Lastly, drizzle in the oil and whisk to combine. 4. Drain the bean water and add the beans to a large salad bowl. Chop the onions finely. Then, add the onions over the beans, and pour the dressing over the still-hot beans. Mix them up really well. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap, and let the bowl sit at room temperature until cooled. Then cool in the refrigerator overnight for best results. Enjoy with some crusty warm sourdough bread and butter, or as a side dish with your dinner or grilled meats.
