This vegan green bean salad with feta and almonds is one of the most delicious green bean recipes! The perfect balance of crunchy, sweetness, acid and tart all in one festive dish!
Side dishes seem to be the hardest thing to think of sometimes. You get through planning the main dish, which sometimes seems to take forever, only to now have to think of what you are going to pair on the side of the main dish. This vegan green bean salad with feta and almonds is always a hit!
This is a very simple side dish that doesn’t need a lot of work. Honestly, you just need to cook the green beans for a few minutes and then it’s just about chopping and mixing everything together.
While it’s very simple in terms of making, the flavors are brilliant together and supplement each other so well. They are burst with various tones of sweet and spice, tart and acid, all with a crunchy and soft texture all in one bite.
It’s definitely one of those absolutely delicious dishes that leaves your mouth wanting more and more.
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VEGAN GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH FETA AND ALMONDS INGREDIENTS:
Below are notes about the ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make this vegan green bean salad:
- fresh green beans – The star of the vegan green bean salad is naturally green beans! Fresh green beans and not canned or frozen are what you want for this recipe. Other varieties will not be great in a fresh salad like this
- vegan butter – we do use a little bit of butter for richness in this recipe in our to saute our green beans
- lemon juice – part of our sauce – it’s tart, but light and refreshing flavors are great with this recipe
- balsamic vinegar – the other main component of our sauce. The flavors are rich and has a mellow tartness that balances nicely with the other ingredients
- cherry tomatoes – these little tomatoes burst with flavors! They are bright, have a sweetness, and snap when eating, but also are juicy and add to the dish in that way as well
- red onions – the best onion to use in a fresh dish like this. They are mild in the flavor, but also the burst of color they add is awesome as well.
- sliced almonds – we get a crunch from the green beans, but also here while getting hints of nutty flavor as well
- vegan feta – for an all around flavor and texture explosion, the creaminess of vegan feta is awesome here
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS:
- fresh green beans – for a different taste, try cooked asparagus instead – chop into 1-2 inch pieces
- vegan butter – you can replace and cook in oil or vegetable broth as well
- lemon juice – lime juice could work as well
- balsamic vinegar – you can mix red wine vinegar and a little sweetener (maple syrup for example) together to sub for the balsamic (2 tbsp red wine to 1 tbsp sweetener)
- cherry tomatoes – you can use grape tomatoes, or roma tomatoes dice if needed
- red onions – sweet onions could be subbed, but be mindful that it may give a spicier texture to some as it’s not as mild
- sliced almonds – try walnuts, pecans, or another favorite nut
- vegan feta – we want the mild flavor, but also the creaminess that we get from this. Try some diced avocado, vegan ricotta, or if you can find some vegan soft cheese like maybe the new Dairy Free Boursin or Treeline varieties
Frequently Asked Questions:
This is mostly a raw dish, so we just need to look at the butter, nuts and feta.
You can omit the nuts. For the butter, use a soy free version or swap with another oil.
For the feta, both varieties we know of contain coconut, so if you can’t have that see the substitution guide above and pick something you can or omit.
This dish is gorgeous just finished and within 4-5 hours of making. After that the colors start to change as the balsamic soaks into the dish. We do love this the longer it sits, however, it’s not as visually appealing. Still, it can be made 3 days in advance.
We do not recommend freezing this dish
Yes, you can double each ingredient to make a bigger batch.
For the vegan butter, in this recipe we used Country Crock Plant Based Avocado Oil sticks.
For the feta, we used Follow Your Heart feta.
What other vegan side dish ideas could I make?
There are endless possibilities, but here are some of our favorite vegan side dishes that we think everyone will like:
- Vegan Lemon Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
- Vegan Cornbread
- One Pot 30 Minute Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Italian Vegan Pasta Salad
- Vegan Potato Salad
- The Best Vegan Baked Beans
- Vegan Glazed Carrots
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
Get all our vegan side dish recipes!
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Vegan Green Bean Salad with Feta and Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh green beans
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup vegan feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Snip the ends off the green beans.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add green beans and saute for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. This will leave them with a crunch in the dish, if you wish for them to be softer, continue to cook as desired.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and put inside a large bowl. Let cool for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic powder. Stir together and set aside.
- To bowl with green beans, add halved cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced red onions. Pour sauce combination over and stir gently, but well. Taste test and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
- Add feta cheese and toasted almonds on top.
- Can be served warm or cold.
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