Steph's Staples: Green Bean Salad

I would almost say that this green bean salad has a melt-in-your-mouth feel to it, but maybe that doesn't fit something served chilled like this. Anyway, it's easy and scrumptious and perfect as a part of a summer lunch on the go or a light supper. It's adapted from a middle eastern recipe I found in a library book a long time ago (I think from Lebanon). I often use it as part of a packed lunch on days when I can't be home for lunch, maybe along with a protein drink, a tin of oysters or sardines, or sometimes with Chik-fil-a chicken nuggets.

Green beans may not be as nutrient dense as some superfood vegetables, but they are still a good healthy staple to include in your diet, rather inexpensive and even easy to grow yourself! Their gentle fiber supports good digestion and gut health, which is one of the main reasons that vegetables are so important, because gut health is essential for the health of the whole body. Green beans also are low in FODMAPS, which people with certain gut issues sometimes do need to reduce for a time. They have some incomplete protein and a variety of vitamins and minerals, including folate, chromium, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, manganese, and potassium.

This recipe is also a good way to get more extra virgin olive oil into your diet, which is one of the best kinds of oil. Fat is a good source for energy and helps to increase satisfaction with a meal, reducing over-consumption. If eaten with carbohydrates, they can help to even out absorption somewhat and promote blood sugar balance. Fats also stimulate bile excretion from the liver and gallbladder, and this increases movement of garbage such as toxins and excess hormones and cholesterol into the digestive pathway to be caught up by fiber and gotten rid of (so the fiber of the green beans helps here too; they work as a team!). Quality olive oil also has anti-inflammatory effects and phenols and polyphenols.

So here's how you make Green Bean Salad...

First step is to pick the green beans if you have them in your garden. If not, no worries... :)

You can make this the super simple way... Or the extra flavorful way...

So here's the recipe:

1 pound of cooked green beans or about two drained cans of green beans

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Optional:

1/8 - 1/4 cup diced onions

1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice

After washing the green beans, cut off the ends by lining them up against the knife and chopping a bunch at once, and then chop them to your desired length.

Then I steam the green beans in my pressure cooker on the setting for 3 minutes. Or you can steam them on the stovetop until they are as tender as you like.

Next, add in the olive oil, salt and pepper, vinegar or lemon juice, and diced onions. If you put it all directly into a plastic storage container with a lid, you can mix it all together simply by shaking it up.

Chill in the refrigerator, then serve!