Healthy Meals/ Legumes/ Recipes/ Salads/ Vegetables/ Vegetarian

String Beans Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Green and crunchy, string beans are at their best this season and they offer delicious low calorie salads. This string bean salad with walnuts and goat cheese is a very quick and very healthy salad. Besides a side dish, it can be a main course as well. Rich in fiber and vitamins, it is an ideal light meal.

String beans are rich in fiber, vitamins B and C, while facilitating intestinal function and offer easy saturation without pay us a lot of calories. It is very rich in water and minerals.

Walnuts, on the other hand, are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids are considered beneficial for cardiovascular health. Also, walnuts contain antioxidants such as phenolics, melatonin, vitamin C, and many metals such as manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. Moreover, they are a good source of vitamin E. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant soluble in fat, which is required to maintain the integrity of the cell membrane of mucous membrane and skin protecting from harmful oxygen free radicals. They also contain B complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6 and folic acid.

Walnuts are a good source of fiber. Dietary fiber, found only in plant products, are a group of substances that are not digested by the body. Besides the prevention of constipation and help reduce risk of bowel cancer, a diet rich in dietary fiber can help prevent cardiovascular diseases and control of type 2 diabetes.

Let’s take a look at the recipe:

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:

½ kilo (1 lb.) string beans, trimmed and washed
½ cup onion, finely chopped (about ½ medium onion)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tsp garlic paste, or, 1 clove garlic, mashed (optional)
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon chile flakes
½ cup goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook the beans for about 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until golden brown, stirring constantly. Add the garlic, if desired.
Pour the sugar over the onions and continue to stir until they are golden all over.
Add walnuts, stir well and immediately add the beans, smoked paprika and chile flakes.
Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add salt as desired.
Serve the beans on a plate and sprinkle with crushed goat cheese.

This way you have prepared yourself a nutritious and light salad for your summer table. Enjoy it!

Nutritional Facts per Serving
Calories	Carbohydrates	Sugars	Total Fat	Saturated Fat	Proteins	Dietary Fibers
262.8	14.7	2.9	19.0	7.2	12.0	5.4