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Sweet and Savory Vegetarian

Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette

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A Summertime salad with the freshest market veggies. We’ve eaten this salad as a main course, but it can be a star side or fabulous starter. Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette is snappy and oh so fresh! Vegan + GF

Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette | Vanilla And Bean

Rob and I headed to the mountains this past week. Not too far away. We’d been anticipating this for some time simply because it was needed, and after all, we were celebrating our anniversary.

How does 25 years go by so fast?  I try to remind myself time is relative, yet at the same time, 25 years makes me feel, um, dare I say, old?  I mean, I blinked and next thing I know, it’s been two and a half decades.

And because we were high school sweethearts, we’ve been together even longer. I feel like I’ve known Rob all my life. We’ve much to celebrate and reflect on.

Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette | Vanilla And Bean

Life is like that, isn’t it? Full of moments, events, and the day-to-day grind. But it’s all about how we spend our time, how we fill those moments, our contributions that bring joy or spending time being…

…still.

Listening to the wind blowing through the trees, a rushing creek, bird songs, a heart beat.

Reflecting on life, where we’ve been, memories made and shared and what we’ve learned along the way.

Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette | Vanilla And Bean

The highlight of our trip was spending time, immersed in nature. Stopping to gaze, breathe, listen, feel gratitude and admire old growth fir trees and swift moving creeks making their way through granite gorges. Embraced by the beauty and solitude of the forest.

I wish y’all could have seen it… my words fail.

Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette | Vanilla And Bean

Reflecting on our years of marriage, it’s been an interesting and exciting journey with twists and turns I would have never imagined. I’ve learned much about our relationship, myself, the opposite sex (which I still haven’t figured out), what it means to be in a relationship and know for sure that men are from Mars and women, Venus.

My patience has been stretched and strengthened and the power of love revealed. I laugh more now than ever when we just can’t seem to communicate clearly or agree.

Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette | Vanilla And Bean

Inspired by the colors of the forest, this Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette is a salad Rob and I agree on. It just feels good to eat a bowlfull of green stuff. Hearty as a main, or paired with a sandwich, this salad holds well and travels with ease. It’s an ideal salad for picnics, lunch, or dinner.

It comes together quick with just enough time on the stove to blanch, rendering the beans tender-crisp and peas smooth as silk. Have you tried chard? It’s is a mellow green that ads texture and bulk to this salad while the tangy vinaigrette brightens and ties all the ingredients together.

Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette | Vanilla And Bean

This is a farm-to-table salad, packed with vibrance, fiber and greens to nourish mind, body and soul. Find the ingredients at your local farmers market and make this. You’re going to love it!

…like the forest and celebrating life’s moments.

Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette | Vanilla And Bean
5 from 3 votes
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Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette

A Summertime salad with the freshest market veggies. We've eaten this salad as a main course, but it can be a star side or fabulous starter. Vegan + GF
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Author Traci York | Vanilla And Bean

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 1 C Peas fresh or frozen (shelled if fresh), 172g
  • 1 lb Green Beans trimmed, 438g
  • 3 C Rainbow or Swiss Chard stems trimmed, leaves rolled up and cut into long ribbons (about 4 large leaves)* See note, 86g
  • 1/4 C Purple Onion finely diced, 45g

For the Dressing:

  • 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 Lemon zested
  • 2 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 1/2 tsp Fresh Tarragon finely chopped
  • Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/8 tsp Sea Salt
  • Black Pepper to Taste
  • 1 Clove of Garlic grated on a microplane, about 1 tsp

Instructions

For the Salad:

  1. Place a large pot on the stove and fill it 2/3 full of water. Bring the water to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil prepare an ice bath with a strainer that fits inside the bath. When the water is boiling, add the peas. Blanch for 45 seconds. Using a large slotted spoon or strainer, scoop out the peas and place them in the ice bath strainer. Strain the peas and place them in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Use the same water to blanch the green beans, making sure the water is boiling. Blanch the green beans for 4 minutes. If needed, add more ice to the ice bath. Drain the green beans and place them in the strainer in the ice bath. Allow the beans to rest in the ice bath until cool. At this point, you can cut the green beans into smaller, bite size pieces. I cut mine on the bias. Place the green beans in the same large mixing bowl with the peas.
  3. Add the chard and purple onion to the large mixing bowl.

For the Dressing:

  1. To a small mixing bowl add the oil, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, tarragon, red pepper, salt, a few grinds of black pepper and the garlic. Use a whisk to whisk all the ingredients together. I cannot get this dressing to form an emulsion.. if you can, I want to know your secret! There is too little dressing to put in a food processor - I tried. So just whisk until it all comes somewhat together.

To Assemble:

  1. Dress the salad with all the dressing and toss with hands. Finish it with fresh ground pepper to taste. This salad holds well overnight in the fridge already dressed. iIf packing it for a picnic, lunch or dinner party, go ahead and dress it in advance.

Recipe Notes

*Save the chard stems to toss in a smoothie or a stir fry.

Recipe inspired by Ottolenghi's Plenty.

Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette | Vanilla And Bean

Green Bean Salad with Peas, Chard and Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette | Vanilla And Bean

Thank you for reading! If you make this recipe, be sure to post it to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter notify me @vanillaandbean and tag #vanillaandbean! I’d love to see what you’ve made! Follow me on Pinterest, too, for even more deliciousness!

 

Comments

  1. A very tasty salad, thank you for this recipe. Since we’re not vegetarians, I added some crispy fried bacon, but the salad would be great even without it. We enjoyed our salad with fresh crusty bread, and that was a delicious summer meal. :)

    Reply

    • Oh I’m so happy you enjoyed this delightful Salad, RainDrop! Fresh crusty bread to soak up the dressing is perfection! My husband would say yes to the bacon :D . Thank you for sharing your comments with us!

      Reply

  2. It’s so nice to see a marriage that works out beautifully, and a relationship that has blossomed since high school. Wow!!! Congratulations :) It’s also nice to unplug once in a while, esp. for your anniversary.
    About this salad, it looks so fresh, so refreshing, and looks so yummy. I love salad that can be prepared for the picnic, and yours looks wonderful, Traci. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.

    Reply

    • Thank you, Pang! I must unplug more often. Really, as much as I love it, I neeed the time away for sure. This is a perfect picnic salad.. we’ve done that with this salad several times. Even snacked on it driving down the road! xx

      Reply

  3. Such a fresh beautiful salad and even more beautiful writing to go along with it!

    Congrats on 25 years of marriage! I can imagine how fast it flies by. And it’s refreshing to hear your outlook on life and marriage. Learning to let go sometimes and focus on being happy are traits that I think many couples need in order to survive!

    Reply

    • Awh, thank you, Sarah! That means so much to me. :D Time… It does fly, but then it’s relative too… a human invention of marking moments. I wonder how we’d be without it defined? Would we be less stressed, feel younger, feel as though we don’t have enough of it? Gah!! :o

      Reply

  4. Congrats congrats congrats!!! 25 years is SO exciting!! What a lovely way to celebrate such a beautiful occasion!! Glad that you were able to relax a bit together and enjoy you’re time in nature! …also, this salad looks nourishing and amazing!! Great recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply

  5. How could it not feel good to eat this one? I’m so happy you found and have someone that you can sit next to and look back at the 25+ years you’ve shared together. I’m also so happy that you got to spend some of that recent reflection in nature… THE BEST place for reflection and to feel grounded. Congrats on 25 years of marriage little lady. *smooch*

    Reply

    • No doubt… so nourishing Meg! You’d love this! Twenty five years sounds like a long time when your young… but the older you get, girl, the faster it seems to go!!! That’s why I feel like I blinked and here I am! Yeowwww!! Thaaank you Meg! Smooch to you too, Sunshine! :D

      Reply

  6. So you mean you and Rob got married when you were 5?? ;) hehe But seriously, happy 25th anniversary!!! Wow! I can only hope to be as lucky as you two <3 That's such an amazing accomplishment. Relationships are hard work, but with respect, patience, and understanding, love can persevere and conquer as you two have so beautifully shown. Celebrating in the mountains sounds like the perfect way to commemorate and reflect. I absolutely love nature, and I love the stillness that you can find there. It's breathtaking seeing what mother nature has created for us living species to enjoy. And this salad is also breathtaking! Wow! I've never been so excited to eat green beans! I love that this is so farm-to-table. It looks flavorful, healthy, and refreshing. If I was there, the photo of you tossing the salad with your hands would have caught another arm reaching out into the bowl to steal a bite too! ;) Gorgeous, gorgeous job Traci! And stunning photos as always <3

    Reply

    • We were young, and actually, my and his dad went to high school together! Small world, eh? Thank you Beeta! You would have loved it, we stayed in Leavenworth and hiked just West of it. There were forest fires burning about 2 hours North so the smoke started coming in.. we left a bit early and hiked on our way out of town where the air was a bit clearer. It was sublime. LOL – grabin salad! :D I would have welcomed it Beeta! Thank you! xx

      Reply

  7. 25 years… amazing! Congratulations Traci and what an ideal way for you and Rob to celebrate. Loved reading your reflections – funny, Hollywood usually leaves out the part about what it truly means to cultivate a long-term relationship :p I hope you’re having a beautiful weekend — and this salad… oh my! the colour is extraordinary and isn’t rainbow chard one of the prettiest greens ever? The French co. Maille used to make a tarragon vinegar that I just adored with a full branch of tarragon running up the length of the bottle. They have since discontinued it which is a shame — not sure if it was too expensive (kind of like skippy having to remove the peanut from the butter :) all things change. xx

    Reply

    • No doubt Hollywood depicts the highlights well, don’t they? Thank you, Kelly! Chard is quite the colorful veggie. I was at the farm this week and got to do some UPick chard. I loved seeing how it grows and how to harvest it. It is gorgeous and it’s oh so good for us! Mmmmm a tarragon vinegar sounds fabulous… have you DIY’d it? Haha – Skippy – WTH!? :D

      Reply

  8. Congratulations on 25 years! A trip to the serene mountains sounds like the perfect way to celebrate with your loved one. And so glad you could bring the greenery home with you in this gorgeous salad. Hooray for savoring every last day of summer and all the wonderful produce!

    Reply

    • Awhhh.. thank you Liz! No doubt it was a memorable trip. I lovvvee going to the mountains! I’ve got more Summer comin; happy to be on the train! :D

      Reply

  9. I’ve been wondering what to do with a huge bag of green beans I have — this looks amazing and I have almost everything already. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  10. Congratulations on 25 years!! I really loved reading your words about your trip + your marriage. I’m at the point in my life where I’m starting to think about the future in that regard, and the thought of spending so much time with one person is terrifying but exhilarating! Do you have any tips on how to figure it all out?!

    Reply

    • Thank you Sarah! Lots of patience, and compromise. Don’t settle. And be sure he can make you laugh… that’s one of the best parts! Figuring it all out is a personal journey for sure. You’ll do it! :D

      Reply

  12. Aww, happy anniversary to you and Rob, my friend! 25 years is such a special milestone. I love how you celebrated with a little trip to the woods, too. What a nice way to reflect on everything you’ve been through together. I wish you two many more years of happiness :)

    And this salad…I must make it as soon as possible! Before I was vegetarian, one of my favorite meals was tarragon chicken. Strangely, that seems to be one of the few ways people use the herb. So I’m thrilled that now I have a new way to enjoy it! And with your perfectly blanched veggies, I can really see how this would be a delicious dish. I”ll be on the lookout for tarragon on my next trip to the market!

    Reply

    • You always make me smile, Julia! Thank you! My Ma was just talking about trying tarragon with Chicken… I’ve just discovered tarragon so am looking for more ways to enjoy it. You’ll love this salad, Julia. You can even add more tarragon to garnish, which I did on my salad, but Rob protested. :D

      Reply

  13. Oh wow Traci! Happy anniversary. Many more to come..
    I know what you mean when you say your patience is stretched and strengthened.. It is all about compromise, isn’t it ?
    I think, this green bean salad is the epitome of a summer salad made with the freshest ingredients. I love that you used swiss chard. I am a huge fan and use it whenever I can get my hands on.
    Love the vinaigrette too.. Pinned!

    Reply

    • Awh, thank you, Aysegul. Compromise, indeed, not always easy for sure! Oh, I know… Chard is one of my favorite greens because it is so mild, like spinach. I use it everyday in green smoothies while it’s in season! We love it! Thank you for your Pin! I hope you’ll get some chard soon! :D

      Reply

  14. Happy Anniversary! 25 years of wonderful love is something worth celebrating for sure, and how beautiful that you met your number one in high school.
    I cannot wait to make this salad to share with my sweetheart and I hope someday we are celebrating out 25th anniversary with the same affection you are.

    Reply

    • Thank you, Amy! Celebrating, indeed. I hope you and your’s enjoy it.. and I hope too, you’ll be toasting your 25th! It really feels good. :D

      Reply

  16. Happy Anniversary, Traci!!!! Wow, 25 years is a long time! That is so impressive! And so sweet that you guys are high school sweet hearts :) Going away to the mountains sounds like the perfect way to celebrate! I hope you guys had a lot of fun!

    This salad is gorgeous and has so many great things going on in it! I’ve never actually cooked with tarragon before so I’m very interested!

    Reply

  17. Happy anniversary to you and Rob! It’s amazing how fast time flies by – 25 years is such testament to love – I’m so happy for you both. As for this yummy salad, this is the kind of side dish that I can’t stop eating. I keep giving myself a little bit more, they a little bit more, then it’s all gone! Love it, T! Have a great weekend.

    Reply

    • Yaaay!! Thank you Geraldine! No doubt, time flies, and 25 years is really a loooong time. It’s hard to believe!

      I’m with ya. I couldn’t stop on this one either. The green beans alone are so snappy and have the most tantalizing texture! Then there’s the dressing. You’ll love it!

      Reply

  18. Happy anniversary to you and Rob! 25 is a big milestone! Sounds like you had a wonderful trip away. Some time in nature and the mountains sounds perfect right now. And I am with my high school sweet heart too! We’ve been together for 12 years, which sounds like a lot when you’re 29. But I love it. I always tell him I’m glad we met so young because I would have missed him. So many shared memories. We’ve practically grown up together. And glad that we grew up to be even closer. A lot can change in college, but we loved each other more than ever. The best!

    This salad is simply gorgeous Traci! I just love all your recipes and photography : )

    Reply

    • Thank you Natalie! Hehe – I was just 29 too, Natalie, then I blinked! I totally get it though… ‘practically grown up together,’ no doubt you’ve and Shawn have something special. So many changes take place during college – Rob and I went through that together too. It’s a unique experience, for sure. Growing together is the best… agreed. :D

      Reply

  19. Happy belated anniversary to you and Rob! Wow, 25 years, that is quite the fete! I am glad y’all had a great time in the mountains and it inspired you to make this delicious salad! This salad is not only gorgeous, it sounds incredibly scrumptious! I LOVE all the flavors and textures you packed in here! So Much Goodness! I will definitely be making this soon! Pinned! Cheers to you, my dear!

    Reply

  21. Beautiful post Traci! Real lasting love is hard to find, especially in high school :) You guys are a couple of the lucky ones. Congrats on 25 years! Your mountain hike sounds like the perfect place to celebrate and reflect. Best wishes on the next 25 ;).
    Oh and your salad looks so yum too, I’m making it this weekend for sure. Love everything about it!

    Reply

  22. Wow, congrats on 25 years!! My parents just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary a few months ago and I’m still amazed how much time that it is! :) And this salad? All that green seriously makes my heart go pitter-patter. Your photos are so vibrant and gorgeous, Traci! Pinned and definitely giving this one a go!

    Reply

    • How about that, young lady! You just wait.. it only seems like a long time. In reality, it’s a blink! Thanks for Pinning Sarah! You’re going to love this! :D

      Reply

  23. Happy 25th Traci! I also celebrated my 25th this past June! Time flies when you’re having fun doesn’t it?! I spend all summer buying beautiful fruits and vegetables from the local farms near me and this salad will be on my list of things I must make! It is gorgeous! And that dressing! Cannot wait to try. Thanks for sharing this beauty! Have a great weekend!

    Reply

  25. Happy Anniversary, Traci and Rob!! What a beautiful tribute in words and photos. I’m so honored to contribute a bowl, which looks amazing holding this stunning salad! Thank you for the honor!

    Reply

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