Wax Bean and Tomato Salad
Wax Bean and Tomato Salad: A Bright and Easy Summer Side
This colorful Wax Bean and Tomato Salad is a fresh, Mediterranean-inspired side dish that’s perfect for summer gatherings, weeknight dinners, or a light lunch. Tender-crisp yellow wax beans pair beautifully with juicy tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a tangy shallot vinaigrette. It’s quick to prepare, only requires a handful of ingredients, is light, fresh and gluten-free, and celebrates the best of seasonal produce.
Believe it or not, this recipe is actually a variation, a more grown-up rendition if you will, of a recipe that I’ve been making for most of my life. It originated from one of my very first cookbooks, a children’s cookbook, of all places, that I had when I was, well, a kid (obviously). While I don't remember the name of the cookbook, I very much remember what it looks like and what it was about. More or less, it was a garden to plate cookbook. It walked you, the reader, through different fruits and vegetables typically found in a home garden and explained, in kid-friendly terminology, what they were, how to grow and harvest them and then how to use them in a simple recipe. As I’m sure you can guess, the recipe for green beans was this salad.
While I still love and make the original green bean and tomato salad recipe all the time, I also love making this fresh wax bean salad variation for something with a slightly more elevated look and flavor profile. Green beans get swapped for golden yellow wax beans, I use heirloom tomatoes in place of regular ol’ red tomatoes, red onions are leveled up to their slightly more elevated cousin, the shallot, and I use a red wine or sherry vinegar for an extra special touch. None of these swaps are vastly different or overly complex, just slight tweaks that take this bean salad up a notch. Think weeknight to weekend (even though it’s more than easy enough to serve any night of the week).
More than anything, this Wax Bean and Tomato Salad recipe really just proves what I learned in my children’s cookbook all those years ago- you don’t need much, just good, simple, fresh ingredients and you can easily create a dish that feels both approachable and elegant and is perfect for al fresco dining or everyday meals.
Why You’ll Love This Salad
Bright & Colorful – Golden wax beans and beautiful heirloom tomatoes make for a stunning summer plate.
Healthy & Light – Packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, it also happens to be gluten-free and dairy-free.
Quick & Easy – Ready in under 15 minutes and works well as either a side or a light main when paired with a simple grilled protein like chicken or fish. You can also toss it with pasta for another easy meal option.
Make-Ahead Friendly – Flavors meld and deepen beautifully after chilling and it keeps really well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Ingredients
Since this recipe is all about peak summer produce and letting it shine, you’ll notice that the ingredient list is short and sweet and you really don’t need much to make this salad. Because of that, I recommend using the highest quality ingredients you can. Think fewer, but better…vegetables from the farmers market, maybe herbs from your garden, super high quality olive oil, you get the idea.
WAX BEANS: Obviously this recipe calls for wax beans but green beans work just as well; be sure to use fresh, not frozen no matter what variety of beans you use
TOMATOES: You can use any variety of tomatoes from cherry tomatoes to sungolds to heirloom tomatoes; I love using sungolds or some kind of yellow tomato for a more monochromatic salad, but that is absolutely not necessary
EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: Use the highest quality one you have available to you
RED WINE VINEGAR: Sherry vinegar or a rose balsamic vinegar are also great options
HONEY: This helps to balance out the acidity of the vinegar and sharpness of the shallots; feel free to use sugar instead of honey
SHALLOT
CAPERS: For just a punch of brininess; totally optional, though, and you can skip these
SALT (both kosher and flaky) + FRESH GROUND BLACK PEPPER
FRESH PARSLEY OR BASIL: For garnishing the salad; it can either be rough chopped or hand torn
Step-by-Step Instructions
BLANCH THE BEANS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the wax beans and cook for 2-3 minutes, or just until tender. While the beans cook, in a separate large dish or bowl prepare an ice bath. Once the beans are done, immediately transfer them to the ice bath to stop the cooking. Remove to a clean dish towel and gently pat dry. Yes, you can, of course, simply steam the beans for a few minutes and skip the ice bath, but blanching the beans not only helps them retain their color it also helps them stay nice and bright and crisp for the salad.
MAKE THE SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, honey, shallot, capers (if using) and a pinch each of kosher salt and pepper. Alternatively, you can add the vinaigrette ingredients to an airtight jar and shake it for a few seconds to combine it.
ASSEMBLE THE SALAD
Add the wax beans and tomatoes to a serving dish. Drizzle the dressing evenly across the top, then gently toss to evenly coat everything.
GARNISH & SERVE
Sprinkle with fresh herbs, a little more fresh ground pepper and flaky salt. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. This salad can also be made up to 6-8 hours in advance and, actually, the longer it sits, the more the flavors meld together as the beans and tomatoes marinate in the vinaigrette. However, if you make it in advance, I recommend waiting to add the herbs and flaky salt until just before serving.
Tips for the Best Wax Bean and Tomato Salad
Use fresh, never frozen, wax beans for the best color and texture. I like to get mine at my local farmer’s market.
Don’t skip the ice bath - I know it’s oh-so-tempting, but this is what locks in that sunny yellow hue and keeps the beans crisp and crunchy in the salad. However, if you are short on time and energy, steamed beans will work. Just be sure not to over-cook them. If anything I’d undercook them by a minute or so.
Use high-quality olive oil for the most flavorful vinaigrette. I like something that is bright and herbaceous, such as this or this, to really compliment the garden-fresh produce.
Make ahead - This salad holds well in the fridge for a few hours before serving and, honestly, the flavors actually get better over time. I’d just recommend waiting to add the herbs until right before serving.
Variations to Try
Add crumbled feta, goat cheese or shaved Parmesan for a touch of creaminess and added flavor.
Sprinkle toasted and chopped nuts, such as walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts, on top for extra crunch and texture.
Swap red wine vinegar for sherry vinegar or rosé balsamic vinegar for a slighter different flavor profile.
Add a sprinkle of chili pepper flakes to the dressing for a touch of heat.
Toss with pasta for an easy and elevated pasta salad lunch or dinner. To up another notch by adding in a protein, as well, something like tuna or grilled chicken.
How to Store LEFTOVERS
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More SUMMER SALADS TO SAVOR THIS SEASON
Summer is the best time of year for simple salads that are vibrant and flavorful without requiring a whole lot of ingredients thanks to peak season produce that really packs a punch and carries the whole team, er, in this case, the whole salad bowl. Here are a few more summer salads that are simple, delicious and perfect for highlighting this season’s produce:
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Wax Bean and Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh wax beans, cleaned and ends trimmed
- 1 large heirloom tomato, cut into pieces, or 1 pint cherry or sungold tomatoes, halved
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons small caper berries, undrained (optional)
- Kosher and flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley or basil, roughly chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the wax beans and cook for 2-3 minutes, or just until tender. While the beans cook, in a separate large dish or bowl prepare an ice bath. Once the beans are done, immediately transfer them to the ice bath to stop the cooking. After about a minute or so in the ice bath, remove the beans to a clean dish towel and gently pat dry. Yes, you can, of course, simply steam the beans for a few minutes and skip the ice bath, but blanching the beans not only helps them retain their color it also helps them stay nice and bright and crisp for the salad.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, shallot, capers (if using) and a pinch each of kosher salt and pepper. Alternatively, you can add the vinaigrette ingredients to an airtight jar and shake it for a few seconds to combine it.
- Add the wax beans and tomatoes to a serving dish. Drizzle the dressing evenly across the top, then gently toss to evenly coat everything.
- Sprinkle with fresh herbs, a little more fresh ground pepper and flaky salt. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. This salad can also be made up to 6-8 hours in advance and, actually, the longer it sits, the more the flavors meld together as the beans and tomatoes marinate in the vinaigrette. However, if you make it in advance, I recommend waiting to add the herbs and flaky salt until just before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
152Fat
11 gSat. Fat
1 gCarbs
12 gFiber
3 gNet carbs
9 gSugar
3 gProtein
3 gSodium
87 mgCholesterol
0 mgThis information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only based on the original recipe, ingredient list and serving size. Although we attempt to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates and come from online calculators. Variations may occur due to substitutions used, food preparation, freshness of ingredients and product availability, among other factors.You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.
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