This green bean cherry salad is topped with caramelized onions, crispy ham and crumbled feta cheese.

There are some things (like a screen door, new fridge and water softener) I’ve been able to convince Ulysses are worthwhile upgrades to make in our house over the past year but one that I’ve failed miserably at for 6 years and counting is a garden.

*This post is sponsored by The Cherry Marketing Institute. All opinions and content expressed are my own.

Sweet and salty green bean cherry salad
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All I want are a few raised beds with a 6 foot high chicken wire fence (to keep those hungry deer out).

This really isn’t asking much (at least in my mind) but he’s adamantly refused to help get it up and running each year I bring it up no matter how I approach it (fresh organic veggies right in our backyard! all the savings in produce! the satisfaction of growing your own food!)

So, without one again this year, I do what most people do their entire lives…rely on mom.

Green bean cherry salad with caramelized onions and crispy ham

My parents built a small little garden last year and this is the second year I’ve now reaped the benefits as well.

Last year, they went to Alaska right as pretty much 90% of their tomatoes ripened (score!) and this year, they planted so many greens the two of them just can’t physically eat them all (score again!).

So a couple of weeks ago, I gave her rosemary chocolate chip cookies and she gave me a huge bag of green beans.

I might be the only person in the world excited about a green bean chocolate trade, but when you’re trying to get rid of 10 pounds, I practically threw them at her and said “GET THEM OUT OF MY HOUSE!”

Green beans, cherries, caramelized onions and crispy ham

This green bean cherry salad is nice and salty from the crispy ham and feta with a sweet bite in every forkful thanks to the plumped tart cherries (which also pack an anti-inflammatory boost).

I beg you not to overcook the beans.

We’re talking a quick blanch and sauté here people, no soggy beans allowed!

No matter how I cook them, whether it’s grilled green beans or green beans with cranberries, bacon and goat cheese for Thanksgiving, they’re always tender with a bit of bite.

There’s really nothing worse than a mushy vegetable!

Check out these other tart cherry recipes:
Tart cherry fruit leather
Tart cherry gummies
Tart cherry ginger muesli yogurt bowls

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Sweet and Salty Green Bean Cherry Salad

Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
This green bean cherry salad is topped with caramelized onions, crispy ham and crumbled feta cheese.

Ingredients 

  • 1/4 cup tart cherry juice
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 slices deli ham, chopped
  • 2 pounds green beans, trimmed and washed
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • salt and pepper

Instructions 

  • Combine the cherry juice, water and dried cherries in a small bowl and set aside so the cherries plump up.
  • Meanwhile, add the green beans to a large skillet with about 1/2 a cup of water. Cover, bring to a boil and let cook 1 minute. Drain the green beans, rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside.
  • Return the skillet to the stove over medium heat and melt the coconut oil in it.
  • Once hot, add the onion and ham and let cook for about 10 minutes until the onions start to caramelize and the ham becomes golden and crispy.
  • Pour half the liquid from the bowl with the cherries into the pan and scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let the liquid cook off (about 1 minute) and add the green beans to the skillet.
  • Toss to combine, add the plumped cherries, season with salt and pepper and top with the feta.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 13gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 600mgFiber: 9gSugar: 28g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salads
Cuisine: American
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Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

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