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Looking for a fresh and flavorful side dish that’s perfect for summer gatherings, holiday meals and backyard cookouts? This String Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Pesto combines crisp green beans, juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil pesto and crunchy toasted pine nuts into an easy make-ahead salad inspired by the flavors of Italy. Ready in just 25 minutes, it’s always one of the first dishes to disappear!
Keep In Mind Before You Start . . .
- Cook the green beans until crisp-tender, not mushy.
- Use an ice-bath to immediately stop the cooking process and preserve the beans’ bright green color.
- Make this recipe your own and consider the amounts more of a suggestion as opposed to a strict requirement.
- Prep green bean salad ahead of time and hold it for several hours before serving.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Inspired by Summer Ingredients with an Italian Twist
Green bean salad has long been a favorite at American picnics, cookouts and holiday gatherings.
This version takes inspiration from some of my favorite Italian ingredients–fresh mozzarella, basil pesto, tomatoes and pine nuts–and combines them with crisp green beans to create a side dish that’s both familiar and a little unexpected.
The result is a vibrant-looking salad that’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner but also perfect for entertaining.
And while it’s especially welcome during the deep summer months when local string beans and tomatoes are in abbondanza, it’s a recipe I happily make throughout the year.
For a few other Italian-inspired green bean recipes, check out my Italian Green Beans and Potatoes and Green Beans in Tomato Sauce.
Why This Recipe Works
The beauty of this salad is the balance of flavors and textures.
- Green beans provide freshness and crunch.
- Tomatoes add sweetness and acidity.
- Mozzarella contributes creaminess and richness.
- Pine nuts add a subtle nuttiness and just the right amount of crunch.
- And the pesto ties everything together with its rich basil flavor.
Ingredients
A few simple ingredients create all the flavor in this recipe:
- Green beans
- Cherry or grape tomatoes
- Fresh mozzarella
- Basil pesto
- Pine nuts
- Red onion
- Red wine vinegar
- Extra-virgin olive oil
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
How To Make String Bean Salad
- Prep Ingredients: Snip ends of green beans and cut them in half. Cut tomatoes in half and dice or shred mozzarella if necessary (unless you’re using mozzarella pearls). Slice onions. Toast pine nuts. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Cook beans until al dente–tender but firm.
- Then immediately submerge them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
- Then, let them dry to eliminate excess moisture.
- Place the beans in a large bowl and then gently fold in all of the remaining ingredients.
- Mix everything together until well-combined.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. And that’s it!
Make-Ahead Tips
One of the best things about this Italian Green Bean Salad is that much of it can be prepared ahead of time. In fact, it tastes even better once the flavors have had a chance to mingle!
- The green beans can be blanched up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- You can also toast the pine nuts up to one day before using. Just set them aside, uncovered, at room temperature until ready to use.
- The salad can be fully assembled several hours before serving.
- For the best texture, add the pine nuts just before serving.
- If making ahead, reserve a little extra pesto and drizzle over the salad just before serving to freshen it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Use your favorite, high-quality pesto and keep in mind that the quality of the pesto can make or break the dish. I have both a classic Genovese pesto recipe and a more unique pesto recipe with lemon and butter on my website. Both of these pestos would work great here. Just bring the pesto with lemon and butter to room temperature before using and serving.
In this recipe, cherry, grape, pear and other similar small tomatoes all work well.
Either. I personally enjoy it more when it’s at room temperature.
Of course. The salad will still be delicious (and a bit less rich) without it.
More Italian Vegetables
Make It Your Own
Don’t consider this a strict recipe, but rather a suggested combination.
Yes, you read that right!
The ingredient amounts in the recipe are mostly a suggestion. If you want more onions and less mozzarella in the salad, for example, go for it! Allergic to nuts? Leave them out. Prefer more acidity in your salad? Increase the vinegar.
I love these kinds of recipes!
To this point, here are few ideas for easy variations to this flexible recipe:
- Olives: black or green (pitted!)
- Artichoke hearts, quartered
- Diced bell peppers
- Cannellini beans
- Roasted garlic or garlic confit, mashed
- Pistachios or almonds are a great alternative to pricier pine nuts
What to Serve with String Bean Salad
This salad pairs beautifully with:
- Baked chicken cutlets
- Grilled steak, chicken, fish or seafood
- Italian sausage
- Barbecue ribs
- Spicy garlic shrimp
- Zucchini sausage pasta
- Burst cherry tomato pasta
It’s an especially great addition to summer cookouts, potlucks and holiday spreads.
Why This Salad Belongs at Every Summer Gathering
Some recipes require perfect timing.
Pesto Green Bean Salad isn’t one of them.
Since it can be prepared in advance and served chilled or at room temperature, it’s a flexible, stress-free option for everything from casual cookouts to holiday gatherings.
The bright colors, fresh flavors and Italian-inspired ingredients make it feel special, while the simple preparation keeps things easy for the cook. Win Win!
It’s always a welcome addition to the table.
Mangia bene!
String Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Pesto (Italian Green Bean Salad)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds string beans, ends snipped, cut in half
- Salt for blanching
- 8 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella , (See Notes.)
- 1 cup sliced red onions
- ½ cup pesto, + more for top (optional), either homemade or store-bought
- ¼ cup pine nuts , (about 1 ounce)
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Pinch crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Toast pine nuts: Place pine nuts in a small, dry skillet that fits them easily in a single layer over medium-low heat. Stir them occasionally until they are golden-brown and have a nutty aroma. This will only take a couple of minutes. Pine nuts will burn very quickly, so do not walk away from the stove when doing this! NOTE: You can toast the pine nuts up to one day before using. Just set them aside, uncovered, at room temperature until ready to use.¼ cup pine nuts
- Gather a large ice bath–large bowl with ice and cold water and have it ready near the pot. This will be used to submerge the just-boiled/blanched and drained green beans to immediately stop the cooking process.
- Once the water comes to a boil, add 1 heaping Tbsp salt, then the string beans. Cook beans until tender but still firm, stirring a few times. This will only take a couple minutes, so do not walk away and leave them as they will overcook. NOTE: I love to use tongs to gently squeeze one bean to test its doneness. Be careful not to overcook the beans. As this is a salad, they should be crispy and firm.2 pounds string beans
- Once the beans are cooked al dente, drain them using a colander. Then immediately submerge them in the ice bath.Alternatively, use a hand strainer to transfer the beans directly from the pot to the ice bath.
- Once the green beans are fully chilled, remove them from the ice bath and let them dry completely. I like to lay them out on a paper towel lined sheet pan, but you can also just let them sit in a colander for a bit to let excess moisture evaporate.NOTE: It’s important to let the green beans dry before mixing them with the oil-based dressings otherwise (1) the dressings may just slide off the beans, and (2) the salad may tend to get soggy.Once dried, you can refrigerate the beans up to two days in a covered container or air-tight bag for if you are prepping them in advance.
- When ready to finish the salad, place the beans in alarge bowl and then gently fold in all of the remaining ingredients. Mix everything together until well-combined. Taste and adjust seasonings. And that’s it!8 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, 8 ounces fresh mozzarella , 1 cup sliced red onions, ½ cup pesto, 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, Pinch crushed red pepper
- Drizzle the top with a little more pesto (optional), then serve immediately at room temperature or chilled. Buon Appetito!NOTE: You can refrigerate the salad for up to 8 hours before serving. However, if you plan to do this, fold the toasted pine nuts into the salad just before serving to maintain their crunchy texture.
Notes
- Recipe Time does not include any time that the beans are let to rest/dry before being mixed with other ingredients.
- Not Really a Strict Recipe: Yes, you read that right. The ingredient amounts here are mostly a suggestion. If you want more onions and less mozzarella in the salad, for example, go for it! Allergic to nuts? Leave them out. Prefer more acidity in your salad? Increase the vinegar.
- Also, since flavors of different pestos vary, the actual amounts of seasonings is also a suggestion. You should definitely add salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste.
- Mozzarella: I used fresh mozzarella “pearls” here which are tiny little balls of fresh mozzarella. They’re so cute and super-convenient!
- But, they aren’t available everywhere, so just grab a large ball (or log) of fresh mozzarella and cut it into small pieces. You can also hand pull it into shreds for a cool look.
- Blanching Water: Use a large pot with 5 to 6 quarts water. Bring the water to a boil before adding the salt. Use 1 heaping Tbsp salt.
- Ice Bath: Have an ice bath (large bowl filled with ice and cold water) ready to immerse the drained strings beans into immediately after blanching (boiling) them.
- This is referred to as “shocking” or “refreshing” the veggies and will stop the cooking process immediately so that the green beans will not overcook.
- This will also help them to maintain a bright green color.
- Prep In Advance:
- You can toast the pine nuts up to one day before using. Just set them aside, uncovered, at room temperature until ready to use.
- Once the string beans are blanched and dried, you can refrigerate them for up to two days in a covered container or air-tight bag for if you are prepping them in advance.
- Also, you can refrigerate the salad for up to 8 hours before serving. However, if you plan to do this, fold the toasted pine nuts into the salad just before serving to maintain their crunchy texture
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve them either chilled or at room temperature.
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Love making this as it’s easy, colorful, make-ahead friendly and a real crowd pleaser!