Everything you love about Caesar salad with a delicious twist. Green beans instead of lettuce! This Green Bean Caesar Salad is the perfect alternative to the traditional version and a great side dish to add to your table this holiday season!

Caesar salad isn’t something you typically think about when it comes to fall or winter salads. However, by simply swapping out the romaine lettuce for seasonal fresh green beans, it suddenly becomes a worthy salad to serve during the cold months of the year.

This Green Bean Caesar Salad has all the ingredients you’d find in a traditional Caesar salad, sans the lettuce. If you ask me lettuce is what I’m least excited about in a salad. For me it’s all about the toppings. Load them up as high as possible and if there’s room, a few pieces of lettuce can get added in.

Green Bean Caesar Salad is not only a delicious twist on the classic, but it’s one that all you meal prep people will appreciate because it can be made in advance. Store the dressing and croutons separately to ensure that everything stays crisp. Unlike lettuce, the blanched green beans will stay nice and crisp all week long.

The creamy Caesar dressing is the recipe I used when I made my Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad this summer. It’s a healthy version of what is usually know as one of the high calorie and fat dressings. I made it healthier by swapping out a lot of the oil and all of the mayonnaise (if you add that to yours) with plain Greek yogurt. You still get all that creaminess, but you won’t be consuming all your calories in a couple tablespoons of dressing.

A Caesar salad isn’t complete without croutons and homemade it definitely the way to go. Homemade croutons are so simple to make and they have great flavor without being over-seasoned like some of the ones you buy at the grocery store. Just cut a few slices of crusty bread into cubes, toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and bake them until the golden brown and crisp. I recommend making more than you think you’ll need because I guarantee you’ll be sneaking some off the baking sheet.

The final ingredient is the shavings up Parmesan cheese. For the best flavor, Parmigiano Reggiano is the way to go. A vegetable peeler is all you need to get those thin shavings. Again, grate more than you think you’ll need because who doesn’t end up eat half the cheese while their preparing the dish?!

Along with being a great salad to serve this fall and winter, you could also substitute it for the traditional green bean casserole at your holiday dinner if you’re not into that or looking for something new to try this year. Enjoy!

Green Bean Caesar Salad

Name: Green Bean Caesar Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed; 1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt; 1/2 of a lemon, juiced; 1 teaspoon olive oil; 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar; 2 teaspoons worcestershire; 2 teaspoons dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon anchovy paste; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese; Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste; Shaved Parmesan cheese for topping the salad; 3 ounces whole grain baguette, cut into 1/2 inch cubes; 1 tablespoon olive oil; Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Caesar Dressing and Green Beans

1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 of a lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons worcestershire
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Shaved Parmesan cheese for topping the salad

Croutons

3 ounces whole grain baguette, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot bring enough water to cover the green beans to a boil. Once boiling salt the water well, then add in the trimmed green beans. Cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain the green beans and immediately shock them in a bowl of ice water. Once cool, remove from the ice water to dry on a clean towel.
In a small bowl or jar whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the baguette cubes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss together until coated. Spread them out into a single layer and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
To assemble, place the green beans on a serving plate or bowl then top with the desired amount of dressing. Garnish with the croutons, shaved Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve immediately.