Green Bean, Orange & Fennel Salad with Pecans & Goat Cheese Recipe

I’ve got a really nice and simple salad for you today. Laura and I made this last night to enjoy with some salmon and it was a perfect side. There aren’t all too many ingredients and the preparation is very straightforward. Read on below to find out how to put this one together.

The Recipe

The process of preparing this recipe consists of three basic steps. First, you’ll need to blanch the green beans. Second, you’ll need to prep the oranges and the fennel and finally, you’ll need to create the vinaigrette. Two additional, yet extraordinarily simple, steps are toasting the pecans and crumbling the goat cheese. Once all of that is finished, you can enjoy the salad.

I really like a few different aspects of this dish. First off, anything that combines toasted pecans and goat cheese is an instant favorite. Next, the vinaigrette is tangy with a bit of sweetness to it, which makes it the perfect dressing for the vegetables. If you’re a big fennel lover like I am, you’ll definitely appreciate the way it’s mixed in with the green beans and the oranges.

As a side note, I’ve been noticing a growing number of recipes out there that include oranges as an ingredient. I’m thrilled with this because I think oranges add a lot of texture and flavor. Up until about a year ago, I’ve never included oranges in anything and now, I’m sharing recipes left and right that do. It’s been a lot of fun.

Ingredients

Serves: 4

1 Pound Fresh Green Beans, Trimmed
2 Oranges, Peeled, Divided and Halved
1 Fennel Bulb, Thinly Sliced
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Orange Zest
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Pecans, Toasted
3 Ounces Goat Cheese, Crumbled

Step-by-Step Instructions

I’d like to thank MyRecipes.com for this recipe. Laura found it while browsing online and I must say, it’s splendid.

Blanch the Beans

Fill a large pot with water about half way and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. When the water comes to a boil, add the trimmed green beans to it and let cook for 5 minutes. After that time, drain the beans in a colander and immediately place the beans in a large bowl that’s filled with cold ice water to stop the cooking.

After a few minutes, drain the beans in the colander again and let drip dry for a few minutes.

Prep the Oranges & Fennel

Before peeling the oranges, shave some zest from the peels and store in a small bowl. You’ll need that for the vinaigrette later on. After that, carefully peel the oranges and separate all the pieces from one another.

Then, cut the stalks from the fennel bulb. Thinly trim the bottom from the bulb and slice the remainder into narrow pieces. Add the oranges, fennel and green beans to a large bowl and toss well.

Prepare the Vinaigrette

In a medium sized bowl, add 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, the sugar, orange zest, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk these ingredients together well.

Toast the Pecans

Warm a small skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. When the pan is to temperature, add in the pecans to it. Then, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan as well, along with a few pinches of salt and a few pinches of ground black pepper. Toss the pecans for a few minutes until they become fragrant. At that point, remove the pan from heat.

Combine Ingredients

Pour the vinaigrette over the ingredients currently in the large bowl and toss well.

Plate & Serve

Transfer the salad to a large serving platter (or individual plates). Then, sprinkle the pecans over the salad and add the crumbled goat cheese. You may also sprinkle some salt and pepper over the salad if you wish. Serve.

The Final Salad

It wasn’t very challenging to take photos of this salad. It just looks good. It also tastes good and is a nice combination of some fairly basic ingredients. Enjoy and thanks for reading!