Green Casserole was invented by Dorcas Reilly in the test kitchens of Campbells Soup. The traditional recipe used two of their products; condensed cream of mushroom soup and French’s fried onions. Campbells estimated it was served at 20 million Thanksgiving dinners in 2020. I’ve experimented with ‘gourmet’ versions and – to be frank – I still find it uninspiring. There’s plenty of rich food on the table, a green bean salad is fresh, bright and crunchy. Also, easy to make ahead and doesn’t use any oven space.

Green Bean Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Feta, Red Onion & Dijon Vinaigrette 

Serves 10–12 as a side

Ingredients 

For the salad

• 1.2 kg fresh green beans (regular or thin haricots verts), trimmed 
• 400 g cherry tomatoes, halved (mixed colours look prettiest) 
• 1 medium red onion (about 150 g), very thinly sliced 
• 200 g feta cheese, crumbled (use Greek feta in brine for best flavour) 
• – Optional: 50 g toasted pine nuts or flaked almonds for extra crunch 

For the Dijon vinaigrette (makes about 150 ml) 

• 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard 
• 2 Tbsp honey 
• 60 ml red wine vinegar 
• 120 ml extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• ½ tsp fine sea salt 
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper 

Instructions

Make 1–2 days ahead 

1. Blanch the green beans:  
   – Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 Tbsp salt. 
   – Add green beans and cook 3 minutes only (they should stay bright green and crisp-tender). 
   – Immediately drain and plunge into a big bowl of ice water for 2 minutes. 
   – Drain well, pat dry with a clean tea towel or paper towels. 
     → You can store the blanched beans in the fridge up to 2 days at this point
   
2. Make the vinaigrette  
   – Put mustard, honey, vinegar, shallot, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tight lid. 
   – Shake well, then add olive oil and shake again until thick and creamy. 
   – Taste and add a little more honey or salt if needed. 
     → Keeps in the fridge for 1 week.
   
3. Assemble the salad (up to 2 days ahead) 
   – In a large mixing bowl, combine blanched green beans, cherry tomatoes, and sliced red onion.
   – Pour over about ¾ of the vinaigrette and toss gently. 
   – Transfer to your serving bowl. 
   – Cover tightly with cling film and refrigerate.
   
4.    Serving
   – Take the salad out of the fridge 30–60 minutes before serving so it’s not ice-cold. 
   – Scatter crumbled feta (and toasted nuts if using) on top. 
   – Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the top, give it a gentle toss, and serve. 

This salad is light, colourful, and gives everyone a fresh break from all the rich foods. Kids and adults both love it, and you’ll get tons of compliments with almost no work on the day.