Green Bean and Bacon Salad with Vinaigrette

Memorial Day is coming soon and it has me thinking of days gone by and the many picnics we attended at family and friends homes. My thoughts turned to the dishes of old and one was the green bean salad that was typically made with green beans and waxed beans and sometimes had kidney beans in it as well. As a kid I shied away from those salads and stuck with what I knew I liked - basically potato salad and pasta salad.

Lately I have been on a green bean kick and am hoping my husband won't mind indulging me until this craving is satisfied. I want to eat green beans: every. single. day. So with thoughts of Memorial Day wandering through my mind I decided to make my own version of green bean salad.

The vinaigrette is an easy and quick recipe and you are going to love how it all tastes when combined with the green beans and bacon.
 

I cooked my beans for 7 minutes but at 5 minutes I felt they were just fine. I cooked them a bit longer because my husband has a need for softer food and yet that amount of time wasn't over cooking them. You'll want to add the dressing while the beans are still warm. I did not use all of the vinaigrette and will refrigerate the remainder for use on another salad. Despite the onion in it, it should last at least a week due to the acidity in the vinaigrette.

• 1 lb. green beans - cut in half 
• 4 strips bacon - cooked crisp
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. onion - small dice
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. poppy seeds
• 1/2 tsp. sugar (white, granulated)
• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

1. Cook the bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside to cool.
2. Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the oil, vinegar, onion, mustard, poppy seeds, sugar, salt and black pepper. Be sure to whisk well. 
3. Prep your green beans.
4. In a large sauce pot bring water up to a boil over high heat. When it comes to a boil add in some salt to taste. Add the cut green beans and cook them el dente. You still want a bit of a bite to them. 5-7 minutes as I described above.
5. Drain in a colander or fine mesh strainer, shaking off the water then add to a large bowl.
6. Take the bacon and crumble it and add to the beans. Toss. Pour the vinaigrette over the beans that are still slightly warm and mix well.
7. Serve at room temperature or cold as a side dish. Keep covered and refrigerate any left overs. With this vinaigrette it should last well for about 3-4 days.

The beans are all dressed up and ready for any summer time picnic you are having. Memorial day, Graduation or Fourth of July, Labor Day -- any reason you have to celebrate an occasion with family and friends. It's a great take along salad too as your contribution to someone else hosting a party. Check out below for how reasonable this is to make. You can double up on the beans and add a couple more strips of bacon however there is enough vinaigrette to dress another pound or so of beans. You can also stretch the beans by cutting them in thirds rather than in half.

This beautiful summer salad will feed 4-6 people for a total cost of $4.75. Each portion being $1.18 for four servings or .79¢ for six servings.

For more variety during picnic season you might want to try another fabulous side dish from Cooking On A Budget. Give my Roasted Stuffed Tomatoes a try. They will be a huge hit and a welcome addition to any picnic or gathering you are giving or attending.