Grilled Green Bean & Tomato Salad

Most people boil or steam green beans. Throwing them on the grill is a game-changer — they get a little char, stay snappy, and pick up a smokiness that makes them addictive. Pair them with the first early tomatoes of the season and a simple herb vinaigrette and you have a cookout side that people ask about every time.

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• 2 cups cherry or early tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
• 4 scallions, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the herb vinaigrette:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• ¼ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or chives
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Make the vinaigrette. Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, and garlic. Stir in the chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Prep for the grill. Toss green beans and scallions with olive oil, salt, and pepper. If your grill grates have wide gaps, use a grill basket or lay the beans perpendicular to the grates so they don’t fall through.

3. Grill the beans and scallions. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill green beans 5–7 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and just tender — they should still have some snap. Grill scallions 2–3 minutes per side until softened and charred. Remove from grill.

4. Chop and combine. Cut scallions into 1-inch pieces. On a large platter or in a bowl, combine warm green beans, scallions, and halved tomatoes.

5. Dress and serve. Pour vinaigrette over the top and toss gently. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• Don’t overcook the beans. They should still have bite. Check at 5 minutes — you want char marks but not soggy.
• Early tomatoes don’t need to be grilled. The raw tomatoes against the warm beans is part of the appeal. If you want, you can grill them briefly, but it’s not necessary.
• Make it ahead. This salad is excellent at room temperature and holds well for a couple of hours — ideal for cookouts where timing is unpredictable.
• Add crumbled feta or goat cheese on top for a little richness. Local farm cheese from the farmers market is ideal.

Where to Find the Ingredients

Fresh green beans show up at Washtenaw County markets in early July and peak through August. Scallions and herbs are available all season long, and early tomatoes are just beginning to arrive.

Farmers markets:

• Ann Arbor Farmers Market — Saturdays 7am–3pm, Wednesdays 7am–3pm
• Ypsilanti Farmers Market — Saturdays 9am–1pm
• Saline Farmers Market — Saturdays 8am–noon

Farm stands & stores (no membership required):

• Argus Farm Stop — two Ann Arbor locations, open daily 8am–8pm year-round. Carries produce from 50+ local farms.
• Green Things Farm Collective — 3825 Nixon Rd, Ann Arbor, farm stand open 7 days a week March through early December.
• Jacob’s Fresh Farm — 475 N Fletcher Rd, Dexter, farm stand open daily 8am–6pm.
• Old City Acres — 741 Emerick St, Ypsilanti (B Cubed Bakery lot), Thu–Sun.
• Dog Star Farm — on-site farm stand in Ann Arbor, plus every Saturday at the Ypsilanti Farmers Market.