Fresh Lemony Green Bean Salad with Crispy Almonds & Tofu Feta, Longest Run in a Looooong Time

I may have just consumed an entire pound of green beans for supper last night. It wasn’t hard since I love green beans and because my husband is not a fan, I didn’t have to share?. And trust me, after running 16 miles, my appetite is gigantic.

I was also really happy about my run. It was a bit less humid, a tad bit cooler, and there was a nice breeze for #longrunfriday this week. I purposely set my watch face to power, mostly because we all know how humidity and the summer air messes with your pace and heart rate. After uploading my run, I was pleased to see my pace stayed quite consistent for my entire run. My goal was to run 2 hours and 45 minutes or 14 miles, which ever came first at 135 watts.

The best part about my run is I felt strong the entire way, and yes I could have stretched this out to an even 16 miler. But to be perfectly honest, I didn’t have to, nor did I feel like it. It’s kind of nice to run for fun and not to worry about any weekly milage goal. Agree?

I was sooo excited for dinner too! This green bean salad is so good I made it two days in a row. It’s light, lemony, and seriously addicting! Instead of roasting or steaming the beans, I prepared them a little differently (described below), which yields more tender and definitely not mushy green beans. I love making asparagus, patty pans, and even cauliflower using this method too. Try this! I promise the results are quite yummy. Most often I add a little garlic ghee and season lightly with salt and pepper.

However, once again Loon Organics inspired me with a new recipe and I seriously could not stop eating these last night. Once the green beans were tender, I tossed them with a lemony sauce, some of my crispy almonds, a little salty tofu feta, and fresh basil.

First off, if you have not made this Tofu Feta, you’re really missing out. I can’t believe it took me so long to make it. If you’d rather use regular feta, it will also work. The feta melts into the lemony sauce coating the green beans just perfectly. The combination of the salty feta and crispy almonds is addicting.

This green bean salad is the BEST! It’s light, summery, and a perfect way to enjoy one of my favorite summer veggies, green beans. I made this twice this weekend and I am hoping there are more green beans in my weekly CSA box this week?.

Lemony Green Bean Salad with Crispy Almonds & Tofu Feta.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup sliced crispy almonds
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 to 3” long pieces
• ¼ cup water
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 small-to-medium clove garlic
• Several twists of freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoon of fresh basil, minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup crumbled Tofu Feta cheese, divided
• 3 to 4 large basil leaves, torn or chopped, for garnish
• Lemon zest from about ½ lemon, for garnish

Directions:

1. If you’re nuts are not sprouted or crispy, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently (careful, they burn quickly). After 3 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue stirring until they are fragrant and turning golden on the edges, about 1 to 3 more minutes. Transfer the almonds to a bowl to cool.
2. Make sure the heat is set to medium-low and place the skillet back on the heat. Immediately add the green beans, water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are nearly tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the lid, raise heat to medium-high, and cook until the liquid evaporates, 2 more minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, black pepper, fresh basil, red pepper flakes and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
4. Once the green beans are done cooking, whisk the olive oil mixture once more, then pour it into the skillet. Pour the almonds back into the skillet, and add about half of the tofu feta, reserving the other half for garnish. Toss to combine, then taste and add more lemon juice or black pepper if necessary.
5. Transfer the green beans to a serving bowl or platter. Sprinkle the remaining feta and the torn basil leaves on top. Lightly grate some lemon zest on top, and serve promptly.

What’s your favorite way to prepare green beans?

Are you looking forward to fall?

Have you been running any double digit runs?