Avocado Caesar Green Beans

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• Why I Love This Recipe
• Visual Walk-Through of the Recipe

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Ratings

This Avocado Caesar + Green Beans Combo Is Magic.

Like, we’re here to talk about green beans, but pick anything from the garden and dunk it in this sauce and it will be your favorite food all summer.

Bjork’s parents were over for dinner a few weeks ago and I made a batch of air fryer chicken (because, what else?). We needed just one more thing to make it into a meal. I had a bag of green beans. I had a craving for this avocado caesar dressing. It was a perfect recipe meet-cute right there in a moment of pre-dinner chaos, and now it’s our summer meal formula.

The salty, bright creaminess of the caesar-like sauce gets all wrapped up with the tender, summery-fresh green beans and lil crispy bits on top and it’s just so good. Fun to look at, fun to eat, and a new summer favorite.

This + any protein is kind of the meal formula for us at the moment. And I feel like you could replicate this formula with almost any garden vegetable! Grilled or roasted zucchini, asparagus, or fresh tender garden lettuce (like a real Caesar).

Easy proteins I usually turn to:

• Air fryer chicken (my go-to)
• Air fryer salmon
• Baked chicken meatballs
• Grilled brats or chicken sausages

Finally, a special word of endorsement for the avocado caesar dressing in this recipe. No matter what veggie we serve it with, they absolutely love it. I have heard the same from so many of you on Instagram – specifically that your kids like it! I do not know what it is about this sauce, but if you are feeding kids, I hope this sauce alone unlocks something for you at mealtime.

It’s lemony and tangy and finger-licking delicious with minimal ingredient usage. My favorite!

Welcome To My Home! Let’s Make These Green Beans.

1

Cook Your Green Beans!

I boil them for about 3-4 minutes so they get tender and bright green. If you cook them for longer than 5 minutes or so, you will likely end up with green beans that turn dull green. Bright green ftw!

2

Blitz Up Your Avocado Caesar Dressing.

I love this little blender (affiliate link) for quick sauce blitzing! This avocado caesar is SO GOOD.

3

Make Your Panko Crispies (If You Want).

Pop a batch of these in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds at a time, stir, and repeat until they’re nice and golden! They keep really well in the fridge for use in lots of things – currently loving them in this big yummy Italian salad.

4

Assemble With The Toppings.

Green beans first, then dressing, then panko, then Parmesan. Red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper, or lemon zest if you’re feeling it!

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4

You’re Done! Yum!

You can serve this in one big family-style dish (as shown) or put the little piles of green beans on individual plates and build that way. Either way, get in there and cut up the beans so they mix with the punchy, creamy caesar and the crunchies. So good.

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Avocado Caesar Green Beans

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• Author: Lindsay
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings

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These Avocado Caesar Green Beans are some type of magic! Tender green beans, a zippy avocado caesar, and toasty panko all over top.

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Ingredients

Units

Avocado Caesar Dressing:

• half an avocado
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• pinch of salt

Panko Crispies:

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• pinch of salt

The Green Beans

• 12 ounces green beans, ends trimmed
• Parmesan for topping

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Instructions

1. Make the Avocado Caesar: Blitz everything in a small blender jar until smooth sauce / dressing forms. Taste and adjust (look out, it’s really good). 
2. Make the Panko Crispies: Mix panko, garlic powder, olive oil, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each one, until the panko starts to turn golden (about 2-3 minutes total). It’ll be very hot – be careful, don’t taste it yet.
3. Cook the Green Beans: Boil green beans for 3-5 minutes until bright green. If you want to preserve the best color, drain and transfer to a bowl with ice water to shock the green beans and stop them from cooking further. Not necessary, but I do this sometimes because I like the very bright green!
4. Assemble and Serve: Arrange the green beans on a platter, top with dollops of the avocado caesar, and sprinkles of panko crispies and grated Parmesan. (You’ll probably have a little bit of avocado caesar left which I never have any issues using up!) Add lemon zest, black pepper, or chili flakes if you want. Serve warm or cold with your favorite protein, and maybe a little extra sauce for dunking. So good!

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Sides
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: caesar dressing, avocado caesar, green beans, side dish

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! 🌟

Frequently Asked Questions For Avo Caesar Green Beans

Can I use a different vegetable?

YES please repeat this style with every vegetable you can think of! This would be an amazing way to build any kind of garden-vegetable side dish for summer! Fresh lettuce, grilled zucchini, asparagus… someone on Instagram suggested doing this with broccoli and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I might need to try that ASAP.

What proteins work well with this recipe?

I’ve said it a few times now but it’s worth saying again: I think this + any easy protein makes the perfect summer meal formula. For the easiest option, you could do a store-bought chicken sausage or grilled brats. For a medium effort option, grilled chicken or shrimp, baked salmon, or obviously I’m going to recommend our house favorite air fryer chicken or air fryer salmon! (We have an air fryer tofu recipe that is amazing, but for some reason it doesn’t seem right with this recipe. If you’re looking for a veg protein I would suggest something like a veggie burger or grilled tofu!)

How do you store the leftovers?

In the fridge, separately. The sauce, crispies, and Parmesan (obvi) keep really well in the fridge! You can either cook your green beans fresh each time you make this, or you can cook a big batch of the beans and then reheat them before adding your toppings. This also works to eat room temperature or cold!

Can you make this vegan?

Yes! Use vegan mayo and skip the parmesan.

Three More Summery Sides

BLT Panzanella

Big Yummy Italian Salad

Grilled Corn

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Two Huge Double Chocolate Cookies

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• Why I Love This Recipe
• Visual Walk-Through of the Recipe

• Video
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Ratings

The Two-Huge-Cookies Reign Continues.

Do I really need another two huge cookies recipe in my life?

I mean, in a very real way… yes.

After I posted the original two huge chocolate chip cookies recipe, someone sent me a DM on Instagram and said, can you do a recipe for this same thing but for your chocolate cookies recipe?

(Which happens to be one of my favorite cookies of all time, and also happens to be an extremely large-batch recipe.)

So one night, in my pajamas, after I had put the girls to bed, I got out my cocoa powder and my butter and my sugar and I answered the call.

It was magical from the first batch. I picked up the cookie – heavy and dense. Perfect. I broke the cookie apart and watched the melty chocolate chips waterfall out the middle – gooey, luscious, a little excessive. Perfect.

I took one bite – warm, overwhelmingly fudgy and dark, thick through the middle, sparkly with sugar, and crisped up on the bottom and exterior to give you just a tiny bit of crunch and contrast. PERFECT!

Oooh baby. These are good. You can use dark cocoa powder if you want them extra rich (like what’s pictured at the top) or regular cocoa powder for something a little more tame, but still delicious (like what’s pictured below).

The good news is, if you think about it hard enough, there’s probably a good reason to make them, like, right now.

How To Make These Chocolate Cookies

1

Soften The Butter.

I just pop it in the microwave. You want it somewhere between melted and room temp – soft enough to stir up into a creamy texture.

2

Add Sugars and Egg Yolk.

And vanilla. Just like regular cookies.

3

Add the Dry Stuff.

Flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. I use a scale but you don’t have to use one!

4

Roll and Bake.

There’s enough dough for two huge cookies + a few bites for tasting. Roll those cookies in sugar and bake!

5

Let Them Cool. You’re Done! Yum!

They are going to be underbaked so they need an extra 10 minutes to let them sit and settle in on the baking sheet! OMG that is one delightful bite.

Watch How To Make These Two Huge Chocolate Cookies

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Two Huge Double Chocolate Cookies

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• Author: Lindsay
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 2 very huge cookies

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Just two huge double chocolate cookies to make you happy! Heavy and dense, fudgy and dark, deliciously thick, and sparkled with sugar. These are so good.

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, very soft (see photos)
• 5 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 tablespoons flour (37 grams, see note 1)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder (15 grams, see note 2)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3–4 tablespoons chocolate chips or chunks
• granulated sugar for rolling

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Instructions

1. Soften the Butter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Soften the butter for about 10 seconds in the microwave – the ideal is slightly melted but not all the way, like what’s in the picture.
2. Mix the Dough: Add brown sugar; stir to combine. Add egg yolk and vanilla; stir to combine. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; stir to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips
3. Make the Dough Balls: Form the dough into two huge balls (reserving a bit of cookie dough for tasting, obviously) and roll each of them in granulated sugar.
4. Bake: Transfer the dough balls to a baking sheet – they may feel slightly heavy and/or loose which is normal. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them rest on the pan for another 10 minutes to set up.
5. Eat: Enjoy your moment of bliss!

Notes

Note 1 on Flour and Measuring: I go for about 52 grams of my dry ingredients (37 for flour, 15 for cocoa powder). If you don’t have a scale, no problem – I measure my scooping the tablespoon into the flour and leveling it gently with a knife. 

Note 2 on Cocoa Powder Types: You can use dark cocoa powder OR regular cocoa powder. The top two images in this post show what the cookies look like with dark cocoa powder – they are, obviously, darker, and the chocolate chips will look lighter in comparison. The bottom set of photos in the steps section shows what the cookies look like with regular cocoa powder.

Note 3 on Chocolate Chips: These also work with white chocolate chips and they’re delicious! When I use the white chocolate chips, I skip the sugar rolling step.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: chocolate cookies, huge cookies, two cookies, double chocolate, double chocolate cookies, two-person dessert, small batch dessert

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! 🌟

Frequently Asked Questions For These Two Huge Chocolate Cookies

Can I use a flax egg instead of an egg?

Yes, I would suggest 1 teaspoon of flaxmeal in 1 teaspoon water. It will add a bit of texture to the cookie but that can be delicious, too.

How can I make cookies vegan?

To make these vegan, use a dairy-free butter and dairy-free chocolate chips and the flax egg replacement mentioned above!

What do I do if my cookies are too puffy?

Add a bit less flour next time – and for this batch, just tap your pan on the counter gently right after the cookies have come out of the oven to deflate them a bit.

What do I do if my cookies are too flat?

Add a bit more flour next time, or melt the butter less.

What do I do if my cookie dough is very sticky?

Add just a touch more flour – a very, very light dusting – until a soft dough forms. You can also put the dough it the refrigerator to help it set, or add a tiny pinch more cornstarch.

Three More Small-Batch Treats

Two Huge Chocolate Chip Cookies

Deep Dish Cookie Bowls for Two

Two-Person Banana Cream Pies

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Big Yummy Italian Salad

Big Yummy Italian Salad! with salami, pepperoncini, two kinds of cheese, garlic fried panko, and a mindless dressing in every salad crevice.

This recipe is sponsored by DeLallo! ♡

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In This Post

• Jump To The Recipe
• Why I Love This Recipe
• Visual Walk-Through of the Recipe

• Video
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Ratings

This Big Italian Salad Hits Every Time.

I am in a salad ZONE right now. In all seasons, but especially in summer, I love a big Italian salad – salami, cheese, pepperoncini, all the spicy, briny, mouth-loving salady things.

But I do not love having to think about a dressing. I’m lazy. It’s not hard but it feels like a barrier? I don’t know.

So here’s how I’m doing Italian salads right now – and by doing, I mean, like, making every couple of days to sit outside and eat in the sun for some lunchy moments of bliss. It’s giving Olive Garden bottomless salad, but, like, more grown-up, more fun, and all-around incredible.

We’ve got shreds of romaine, chopped salami and cheese (two kinds, if you’re me), pepperoncini, paper-thin pieces of red onion, and a big spoonful of these garlic golden crispy bits that are essentially serving the purpose of a crouton in a more pleasant, less mouth-scratching format. Just a delicate, golden garlic bready crunch amidst all this flavor. Drool.

And the key component! The dressing gets slicked into every crevice of this salad – it’s just in the form of a couple of absolutely mindless, no-recipe splashes and drizzles. I use 3 things:

• a good olive oil
• pepperoncini brine
• Italian seasoning

There’s already so much good stuff here with a ton of flavor, so I guess I just started to realize – why are we making a dressing for this? No need. Splish, splash, shake and done.

I’m using the DeLallo Castelvetrano Extra Virgin Olive Oil for this salad these days and it’s delightful – fruity, pleasantly bitter, with a peppery finish making it awesome for finishing which is basically all applications in this salad. Plus the squeeze bottle! Ooo baby! Love, love! It makes it THE PERFECT oil component in this recipe. I feel personally close to this bottle of olive oil right now. We’ve worked with DeLallo for years and they produce and import the best Italian products around!

To big yummy Italian salads in the sun! Let’s go!

Welcome To My House! Let’s Make An Amazing Italian Salad.

1

Cut Up Your Salad Stuff.

Salami, cheese, red onion, and lettuce. (I’m using romaine here.)

2

Make Your Golden Panko.

The DeLallo castelvetrano squeeze bottle oil is my good, good friend in this recipe. Just squeeze that oil onto the panko with some garlic powder to start.

Then we microwave that for about a minute, stir it up, and go back for another 20-30 seconds until it’s nice and golden. It’ll be HOT – don’t taste it yet! But add a pinch of salt and admire your crispies.

3

Low-Key Dress Everything.

This is absolutely effortless. I just add 3 things: a few shakes of Italian seasoning, a couple squeezes of olive oil…

and a splash of pepperoncini brine.

4

You’re Done! Yum!

Toss and serve! Or, in my case, take the whole big bowl for yourself.

Watch How To Make This Italian Salad

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Big Yummy Italian Salad

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★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

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• Author: Lindsay
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 2-4 servings

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Description

I love a big Italian salad! Crisp romaine, salty salami and cheese, briney pepperoncini, and toasty garlic breadcrumbs. YUM!

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Ingredients

Units

Big Yummy Italian Salad

• 3–4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 12–15 pieces salami, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup cubed cheese like Provolone
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup DeLallo Sliced Mild Pepperoncini
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

Golden Crispy Garlic Panko

• 1 cup panko
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons DeLallo Castelvetrano Extra Virgin Olive Oil

No-Recipe Italian Dressing:

• Drizzle of DeLallo Castelvetrano Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3 tablespoons)
• Splash of pepperoncini brine (1-2 tablespoons)
• A few shakes of Italian seasoning (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Prep Salad Stuff: Chop all your salad veggies, meat, cheese, etc.
2. Make Golden Crispy Garlic Panko: Mix panko, oil, and garlic powder in a bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, and microwave again for 20-40 seconds until it’s nice and golden. (It’ll be hot! Don’t taste it yet.) Season with salt.
3. Toss with No-Recipe Dressing: Add all your salad stuff to a large bowl. Drizzle with oil, pepperoncini brine, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Toss to combine, taste, adjust, you know the drill. Finish by tossing those golden panko crispies in there! YUM!

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Category: Salad
• Method: No-Cook
• Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: chopped salad, Italian salad, chopped Italian salad, romaine salad

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! 🌟

Frequently Asked Questions For This Italian Salad

How could I make this vegetarian?

Swap in chickpeas for the salami! It would be especially good with the marinated chickpeas from this recipe.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yep! Just swap in some gluten-free breadcrumbs for the panko.

Is this salad spicy?

There’s a slight kick from the sliced pepperoncini, and potentially the salame depending on what kind you buy, but overall it’s not too spicy. If you’re sensitive to spice, you could reduce the amount of pepperoncini slices and buy a salame without any heat.

Does this salad prep well?

Yes! Just keep the crispy panko and dressing separate from everything else!

How could I increase the protein?

Chicken would be delicious – grilled or made in the air fryer!

More Italian Summer Favorites

Italian Pasta Salad

Pesto Shrimp and Parmesan Risotto

Burst Tomato Pappardelle

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Thanks to DeLallo for sponsoring this recipe!

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