{"id":6729,"date":"2014-11-14T07:57:56","date_gmt":"2014-11-14T13:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/?p=6729"},"modified":"2014-11-14T07:57:56","modified_gmt":"2014-11-14T13:57:56","slug":"haricots-vert-salad-with-blue-cheese-pecans-and-cranberries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/2014\/11\/14\/haricots-vert-salad-with-blue-cheese-pecans-and-cranberries\/","title":{"rendered":"Haricots Vert Salad with Blue Cheese, Pecans and Cranberries"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is a special place in my heart for\u00a0creamy green bean casserole. \u00a0The kind with the canned crunchy fried onions, and the canned cream of mushroom soup. \u00a0You know what I’m talking about, and if you don’t you should try it at least once. \u00a0But sometimes that Thanksgiving meal can be a little heavy on the creamy casseroles and you want (and likely need) something light and refreshing in the mix to balance things out. \u00a0This salad is a delicious way to provide some balance in your meal while still keeping is special.<\/p>\n

\"Haricots<\/a><\/p>\n

Something about the combination of warm toasted pecans, tangy sweet cranberries and robust blue cheese just sings of the season we’re entering. \u00a0The weather is cooler and richer flavors are in order. \u00a0Although, I’d eat this salad in the summertime with no problem.<\/p>\n

\"Haricots<\/a><\/p>\n

You can serve these as lovely first course salads on individual salad plates, or arrange them on a large platter and allow guests to serve themselves. \u00a0The bibb lettuce leaves hold up well, so there’s little need to worry about them tearing, unless they’ve been sitting too long so don’t prepare them all the way too far in advance. \u00a0If you’re really needing this to be a quick and painless salad you can tear up a bunch of bibb lettuce, toss in the dressed beans, cranberries, blue cheese and pecans and serve this as a large serve-yourself salad. \u00a0You might want to double the dressing if you plan to serve it that way, though.<\/p>\n

\"Haricots<\/a><\/p>\n

You can cook the beans up to 2 days ahead and keep them in the fridge. \u00a0The beans also hold up well in the fridge after being dressed, so you can prepare them up to that point hours ahead of time, but not longer than a day. \u00a0Mix in the cranberries, but not the blue cheese or pecans, they’ll get soggy if they sit too long. \u00a0Sprinkle on the blue cheese and pecans right before serving.<\/p>\n

I tend to under-dress salads when serving them to a group. \u00a0I hesitated to add all the dressing to the beans, but it was the perfect amount. \u00a0There’s just enough that drips off onto the lettuce.<\/p>\n

\"Haricots<\/a><\/p>\n

Haricots Verts Salad with Blue Cheese, Pecans and Cranberries<\/h3>\n

From Fine Cooking<\/p>\n

Serves 6<\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/em><\/p>\n