Food Recipes Green Bean and Celery Salad Is a New Favorite Holiday Side Dish 4.3 (3) 2 Reviews This sesame, green bean, and celery salad is the perfect dish to cut through the richness of your Thanksgiving menu. By Jenna Helwig Jenna Helwig Jenna is the food director at Real Simple and the author of Bare Minimum Dinners, a cookbook featuring more than 100 low-lift, high-reward recipes. Previously, Jenna was the food director at Health and Parents. She is also the founder and operator of Rosaberry, a boutique personal chef services company, and the author of four other cookbooks, including the bestselling Baby-Led Feeding. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 27, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Greg Dupree Prep Time: 45 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 8 servings Jump to Nutrition Facts We love the decadence of Thanksgiving in all its glory—rich gravy, luscious potatoes, roasted turkey. But one rule should always apply, and that’s to have a zingy salad alongside to balance out the richness. This tasty green bean salad recipe has crisp apple and refreshing celery plus a dressing that’s punchy and lively with the addition of fresh ginger. On its own, the Dijon, honey, and apple cider vinegar-based dressing is assertive, and when it coats the green bean-apple mixture it complements all the ingredients beautifully. The sesame seeds, small yet mighty, add a wonderfully toasty note throughout, while the celery leaves add an extra dose of freshness. Plus, by using the leaves already on the celery, you can avoid buying a separate bunch of herbs. Win! Tip The cooking water used for the green beans should taste like salt water, so don’t be shy and truly generously salt the water. The salt seasons the green beans from the inside out, but since they cook for such a short amount of time, they won't taste "salty." 47 Easy Thanksgiving Sides You Can Make in Less Than an Hour Ingredients 1 1/2 lb haricots verts (French green beans), trimmed 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 1/2 Tbsp honey 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for boiling and seasoning 1/3 cup olive oil 3 cups thinly sliced celery, cut diagonally (from 4 to 6 large stalks), plus a handful of celery leaves for topping 1 large apple (such as Honeycrisp), cored and cut into 1/4-in.-thick sticks 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds Directions Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add beans; cook over medium-high, stirring often, until bright green and very tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain beans in a colander and rinse well with cold water. (This step can be completed up to 48-hours in advance. Dry the beans well and refrigerate in an air-tight container.) Whisk vinegar, mustard, honey, ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly add oil, whisking constantly until mixture is combined. Dry beans and transfer to bowl with dressing. Add celery and apple; toss until well coated. Add sesame seeds; toss until combined. Transfer salad to a serving platter, pouring on any dressing remaining in bottom of bowl. Top with celery leaves. Nutrition Facts (per serving) 150 Calories 10g Fat 16g Carbs 2g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 150 % Daily Value * Total Fat 10g 13% Saturated Fat 1g 7% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 344mg 15% Total Carbohydrate 16g 6% Dietary Fiber 4g 15% Total Sugars 10g Protein 2g 5% Vitamin C 11mg 12% Calcium 67mg 5% Iron 1mg 5% Potassium 270mg 6% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Rate It Print