This Green Bean Avocado Salad is a copycat of a popular salad at a charcoal chicken chain in Sydney called Chargrill Charlie’s. Their chicken is ok. But they do really good salads!
This salad is made with soft cooked green beans, tomato and avocado with a sprinkling of chopped capsicum/bell peppers and red onion, then tossed with a creamy avocado dressing. Love the avocado on avocado in this. 🙂
Green Bean Avocado Salad – copycat recipe
Chargrill Charlie’s is a charcoal chicken chain here in Sydney. I don’t really go for their chicken. But they are known for their salads!
This Green Bean Avocado Salad is a copycat of one of their more popular ones which I’m sharing pursuant to a reader request. Green beans, tomato, little bits of capsicum/bell peppers and red onion, and the clincher: double avocado. Avocado in the salad AND the creamy avocado dressing.
It costs a mighty $7 for a small tub. It didn’t cost much more than $7 to make a giant bowl of it at home!! (Mind you, green beans were on sale for $2.50/kg – that’s 2 pounds! If you’re long on green beans too, head over to my Green Bean Recipes.)
Avocado on avocado – in the dressing AND in the salad. Because nobody ever said “there’s too much avocado in this!”
What goes in Green Bean Avocado Salad
Here’s what goes in the salad:
The green beans seem raw (or borderline raw) at Chargrill Charlie’s. For this salad, I think it’s nicer cooked (steamed). And not just “tender-crisp” cooked, but fully cooked to soft. Just melds together better with all the other stuff in the salad.
Alternatives to green beans
Haven’t tried, but I imagine asparagus and broccolini would be terrific alternatives to the beans (similar shape and texture).
What goes in the Creamy Avocado Dressing
And here’s what goes in the Creamy Avocado Dressing:
I actually wrote up the dressing as a separate recipe (though I’ve also included it in the recipe card below) because it’s terrific to use for any salad when you want a creamy dressing fix without the guilt! Here’s the Creamy Avocado Dressing recipe – which also includes a bunch of flavour variations (ranch, Caesar, Italian, Mexican, to name a few).
How to make it
No rocket science here. Steam the greens, chop the veg, blitz the dressing them bring it all together!
Heads up: it looks pretty and colourful right up to the point you start tossing. Then it doesn’t look so attractive – I feel like that’s the case with most creamy dressings.
So it might look like a bit of a mess, but it’s mighty tasty!
Serve it as a side or a light meal!
I know the obvious way to serve this is as a side dish but that hasn’t happened once around here! I’ve been having it for lunch, and even as a light supper because it’s got more oomph than most side salads. I’ve added protein in various forms –
-
cooked chicken (Foolproof Juicy Poached Chicken is my “make every week” standby)
-
can of tuna (other forms of canned fish would be ideal too)
-
chopped hardboiled egg
Some crusty bread or soft rolls on the side wouldn’t go astray. Or for a faster option, savoury muffins – either these Cheese Muffins or Mediteranean Muffins.
As a side dish, it would go with any protein but I think it would be particularly great with chicken or fish. Here are a few suggestions:
Mains to serve with this green bean salad
Lastly, this recipe will make more creamy Avocado Dressing than you need. It’s a bit hard to make less, from a blitzing perspective. It will keep for 3 days and doesn’t go brown. Use for your next salad, or for dunking (bread, crackers, chips, veg). – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Green Bean Avocado Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
Green Bean Salad
- 500g / 1 lb green beans , ends trimmed, cut into 5cm / 2" pieces
- 3 tomatoes , cut into thin wedges
- 1 avocado (large, or 2 medium) , diced into 1.5cm / 2/3" pieces
- 1/2 red capsicum / bell pepper , diced
- 1/2 red onion , finely diced
Creamy Avocado Dressing:
- 1/2 cup ripe avocado (smush into cup to measure, or estimate - 1/2 medium avo)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp sour cream or yogurt (Greek or plain, unsweetened) - OPTIONAL (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, small , minced using garlic crusher (Note 2)
- 4 tbsp water (to thin out, it's very rich!)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Dressing:
- Place all ingredients into a Nutribullet or small food processor and blitz until smooth (including any Extra Flavouring Options suggested in the standalone Creamy Avocado Dressing recipe).
- Use water to thin to just pourable consistency (so it's not super gloopy and thick). Taste and add the following to taste: salt, pepper, lemon, oil.
Salad:
- Steam green beans using method of choice until soft (I microwave, 5 minutes on high). Drain then leave to cool and dry.
- Place remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl with the beans. Drizzle with half the Dressing. Toss. Serve with remaining Dressing on the side.
- Presention note: It looks a bit of a mess once tossed. If you're serving to impress, just drizzle the Avocado Dressing over and take to the table like that (see in post, it's much prettier!).
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
I love the way he doesn’t even pretend to be interested if there’s nothing he likes in my lunch.
Chargrill charlies salads are the best! Especially their chop salad and you mix in the crispy thin chips. DELISH!!
Oh I love Chargrill Charlie salads too! Any chance you can please do a copycat of their quinoa salad with nuts and cranberries and avocado? My fav!!
Hi Vanessa, that salad is delicious! Pop a request on my recipe request page too 🙂 N x
Yummmmmm x 10000000
This was incredible. I steamed for only 3 minutes as I like the crunch and my husband and I ate almost the entire salad with your chicken marinade. Best meal! Can’t wait til we can have a BBQ again.
Looks absolutely divine! Can’t wait to go find some avocados and enjoy this beauty! Thanks for recreating it:)
You’re so welcome Juds!!! Enjoy 🙂 N x
Made this last night – it was delicious. I was asked to put this on regular rotation. Thanks Nagi 🙂
That’s awesome Sam! N x
I’ve been all out of ideas for what to eat on my keto diet, and your greenbean salad and creamy avocardo dressing has hit the spot big time. Totally devine…thankyou, you’re a life saver!!
Made this to go with a bbq lunch today. It was so delicious!! The dressing was amazing.
Made this yesterday. This is so good. I ate some for dinner and then today for lunch and honestly if I don’t stop stop myself I can eat the whole thing in one sitting! The dressing is so delicious that I can eat the dressing in spoonfuls.
Once again you have delivered a winner! Took this to a pot luck dinner tonight and it was an absolute hit! LOVE your simple but delious recipes Nagi ❤ Thank you for sharing them 😊
Forgot rating.
Love salads.
I made this one with broccoli.
It will last for 3 days. Delicious.
Thanks Nagi and lovely Dozer.
Regards from Bosnia.
Just made this for dinner and typing this as I’m eating it… I can’t believe how yummy this is?! I don’t even like beans! Lol.. must be the avocado dressing. I did add some cold chicken to it and will be making it again! Thanks Nagi
You deserve a Big Bell.. Mmh so impressed, loving it!!
Made this for dinner tonight. The store was out of green beans so I used broccolis and asparagus. Also used green onions for red onions as the have a samonilla scare associated down in the states. It was still so yummy. Definitely a repeater! Thank you
Perfect Subaroo – I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Have made many kinds of avocado salad naturally ! Have made avocado dressing ! Have I put them together ? Do not think so ! Again a good idea and lesson which will be followed up . . . just love the colour spectrum bursting with health !! Dozer – stay and enjoy the winter sun , , , wise choice . . .
Avocado on avocado – that’s not to love?! 🙂 N x
This looks fabulous! I’ll try it with asparagus!!
It will be great with asparagus Robin!! N x
I love all your recipes they look wonderful thanks fir sharing them. Also I love dogs but live in a flat so unable to have one. Lucky you
Hi Lyn, thanks so much!! Don’t worry, I’ll keep sharing tales of Dozer for you to enjoy 😉 N x
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your and Dozer’s website.
My cocker spaniel, Jip, sends huge wags to you both. Could you possibly create some diabetes type 2 recipes ?
Hi Caroline, thanks so much! Give Jip a big belly rub from me! Sorry I’m not a dietician/nutritionist so won’t advise what is diabetic friendly – you’re best to speak with your GP here. However, I do have a lot of recipes that would suit or easily be converted (with brown rice/pasta) to make them more suitable. N x
Hi there cant wait to try this. One of my favorite ways or preparing delicious avocados is to grill them. Cut in half, w/o pit of course and brush with O/V. Grill to mark and to get a little seal… Then fill them with pesto, served on a beautiful Romaine green salad with red onion slivers, tomatoes, toasted pine nuts or pepitas, and drizzled with a nice Champaign Vinegarette dressing. Dust with freshly grated Parmesan…yummy!! Love your recipes…
YUM! I love this idea Margaret!! N x
YUM! Can’t wait to try this. As a kid I used to love munching on their crunchy potatoes(/chips??) after school. This is so nostalgic. Mouth. Is. Watering. 🤤
I love hearing this Tiana!!! Can’t wait to hear what you think once you try it! N x