Green Beans Blue Cheese Salad
This Green Beans Blue Cheese Salad is the perfect side dish or salad served for a summer party! Make ahead and chill in the refrigerator before serving.
When my friend Joan sent fresh green beans from her garden over with her son, who was headed on a backpack trip with our son, I got a little homesick for some of our friends in our hometown, and also our garden!
One of the things my husband and I have learned, in the last 6 weeks of being in our new home, is that we could love the home we’d had (garden, pool, beautiful backyard, so many memories), but leave it anyway. Because now we are loving our new space, as we’re working hard on a few DIY projects. For over a year, we tossed around the idea of wanting to live in a new environment, specifically central Oregon, because of the air, light, outdoor activities, cooler temps in the summer (and snow in the winter!), a church dear to our hearts, and slowing down. It took hard work to put a plan in place to downsize, and to summon the courage to give up the life we had (and leave the people that we loved), in favor of a life with new adventures (for both us and our children)–growth, change—a place we were meant to be.
For this season.
In the end, it comes down to several things for people who move away. We are happy that we love the place that we left, and all of our beautiful memories and friends (our calendar is getting full already, with out-of-town guests), because we can outgrow phases of life. Not everyone, but for some people.
For some, it makes sense to live in the same place their whole lives. For others, adventure is at the root of their soul. It’s not discontentment, but an “I want to explore and meet new people and have new experiences and be used by God in this great big world that we live in.”
Guess what? Here’s a little surprise to us. Since we moved, we’ve talked to many close friends about “new seasons”, and find that we weren’t the only ones with adventurous spirits. For some, it’s hard to take the plunge; for others, it’s on their bucket list, or they’re considering and praying about it, like we had done for a solid year.
My hubby and I both agreed: We were up for the challenge, a new season in life to grow!
Another thing we’ve learned is that we can shine brightly anywhere, and “new” situations force us to try new things, face our fears, possibly make us lean on others, because quite honestly—we’re out of our comfort zone.
I don’t know about you, but I want to keep learning and growing through all of the seasons in my life.
It may not require a move, but hold on to your seats if it does …
Green Beans Blue Cheese Salad
So, with Joan’s amazing garden green beans (picked with so much love), we had burgers for dinner last week, and I served this fantastic Green Beans Blue Cheese Salad.
Made with crumbled blue cheese, a sweet tangy buttermilk dressing, with fresh herbs, you blanch the green beans, chill with the dressing drizzled on top, and serve!
Oh, and don’t forget fresh summer dill. (Another thing I miss from our garden – sniff-sniff).
Get the Recipe:
Green Beans Blue Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds green string beans, trimmed
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried
- 4 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion
Instructions
- Place a large bowl of ice water by the stove. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add beans, and boil until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes (they will turn a bright green). (Boil small beans for 2 minutes, medium beans for 3 minutes, and large beans for 4-5 minutes.)
- Drain the beans; transfer to the ice water to cool. Drain; pat dry.
- Combine buttermilk, blue cheese, mayonnaise, dill, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a mini food processor. Pulse until almost smooth. (Or, optional to leave the blue cheese chunky.)
- Transfer the beans to a large bowl, add onion and the dressing; toss to coat.
More summer salads:
Sweet Asian Slaw with Apples and Corn
Red Cabbage Beet Slaw with Cranberries
Orange Cranberry Summer Slaw Salad
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Briny feta or crumbled blue cheese? Or are those two versions you are referencing? Thanks for clarification – the salad looks great!
You can use feta or blue cheese, Joan! :)
Loos delicious but I have a question.
“Bring water to a boil in a large. Add beans, cover and steam until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes (they will turn a bright green).”
So do you boil the green beans for the 3-4 minutes? or how do you steam them?
Boil the green beans. I fixed the recipe. Thanks Rachel!
I am so inspired by your words, I am going to make sure my husband reads them too.
Thank you.
Yum! This looks so good. Such a good post. My hubby and I have wondered over the years if moving to a new location was something we could do. It was an easier thought when our girls were little, but now that our oldest is married and settled here in the same town, it’s hard to think of moving away. Isn’t it funny how everyone is so different in that regards. Maybe that will change with time, who knows. I know for my hubby, it would be hard to pick up and start yet another new job somewhere new, unless it was something he knew he’d love, then I think I’d be all for packing up and heading on out, and just believing that we’d see our girl, and thankful for social media connections.
There are so many factors with moving. And now your married girl is settled by you! That would be tough. Hope we get to visit whe you come over this way!