This fresh and light salad will have everybody reaching for seconds. For variation, try some feta cheese for the goat cheese, and substitute roasted pine nuts for the almonds.

Ingredients

• ice as needed
• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch sugar, or more to taste
• 2 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
• ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds

Directions

1. Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice water, and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add green beans, and blanch until just tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes (do not overcook). Drain green beans, and immediately add to ice bath to stop cooking; set aside.
3. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar together in a small bowl.
4. Drain green beans well and pat dry with a paper towel to avoid diluting the dressing. Place into a bowl and drizzle with vinaigrette, tossing gently to coat.
5. Transfer tossed green beans to a serving dish. Garnish with goat cheese and almonds.