Green Bean Salad with Feta, Walnuts, Cherry Tomatoes and a Jalapeno Vinaigrette

First make the vinaigrette. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all the ingredients and set aside.

Blanch the beans by putting them into a pot of boiling for about 4 minutes until they’re crisp/tender. Then immediately remove them from the boiling water and plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and help them maintain their bright green color.

Pat beans dry on a paper towel, then put them in a Ziploc bag with 3/4 of the vinaigrette and refrigerate.

Separately refrigerate the remaining 1/4 of the vinaigrette. You can leave the beans in the fridge for a half hour or overnight. That’s one of the great things about this recipe.

Toast the walnuts by putting them in a saute pan over medium high heat until just fragrant. Be careful not to burn them … as I have done.

Now you’re ready to begin the assembly. Remove the beans from the marinade. Put the marinated beans on a nice platter. Carefully spoon the remainder of the vinaigrette from the Ziploc bag down the center of the beans. Sprinkle with the crumbled feta cheese. Arrange the walnuts and cherry tomato halves over the top. Drizzle the last of the vinaigrette on top.

You can serve this at room temperature which is my favorite way or even cold if you prefer. The jalapeno gives it just the right amount of kick.

But either way … Enjoy!