July is when my garden starts to produce a bounty of vegetables. Beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, peppers, zucchini…I love it! I create recipes (like Wax Bean and Roasted Tomato Salad with Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette) based on what the garden gives us for the day.
Tender crisp wax beans are tossed with sweet, roasted tomatoes, onion, and fresh dill. Bright sun dried tomato vinaigrette adds tang along with salty crumbles of feta cheese. The perfect summer salad!
Wax Beans – They’re not waxy
I grew up eating wax beans but they seem to not be as readily available as they used to in the past. Wax beans are closely related to green beans. They do not have chlorophyll which gives them a bright yellow color instead of green. The taste is almost identical.
For more information, check out this brief article from The Spruce Eats.
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
It seems like cherry tomatoes ripen all at once. You go from no tomatoes to large bowlfuls overnight. When that happens, I love to roast them. Roasting deepens the flavor and brings out the sweetness.
Roasted cherry tomatoes also make an awesome, easy pasta sauce! Check out my Creamy Roasted Tomato Sauce!
When you combine tendercrisp wax beans and sweet, roasted cherry tomatoes – then the magic happens! It is a beautiful blend of flavors that is ramped up with the tangy Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette. Your taste buds are in for a treat!
Perfect alongside grilled chicken!
If you can’t find wax beans, use green beans. The important thing is to make sure your ingredients are fresh!
How to Make Wax Bean and Roasted Tomato Salad with Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Dressing:
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pureé until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Salad:
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Halve the cherry tomatoes and spread out on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Toss to coat.
Roast for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes start to blister and slump. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
While the tomatoes are roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the wax beans and cook for 3-5 minutes until tender crisp. Drain into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Assemble:
In a large bowl, add the blanched wax beans, roasted tomatoes (and their juices), red onion, and fresh dill. Add the sun dried tomato vinaigrette and toss well. Let the salad sit for an hour to allow the flavors to meld. Right before serving, sprinkle the top with the feta cheese.
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Wax Bean and Roasted Tomato Salad with Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Ingredients:
Dressing:
- ½ cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad:
- 1 lb. wax beans washed and ends trimmed (Green beans work too)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh dill chopped
- ½ cup feta crumbled
Instructions
Instructions:
Dressing:
- Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pureé until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Salad:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Halve the cherry tomatoes and spread out on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Toss to coat.
- Roast for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes start to blister and slump. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the wax beans and cook for 3-5 minutes until tender crisp. Drain into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Assemble:
- In a large bowl, add the blanched wax beans, roasted tomatoes (and their juices), red onion, and fresh dill. Add the sun dried tomato vinaigrette and toss well. Let the salad sit for an hour to allow the flavors to meld. Right before serving, sprinkle the top with the feta cheese.