A haricot vert recipe which is defined by its simplicity, fresh flavors and quick preparation. We are going to make French green beans in under ten minutes with one pan. You'll love how the lemon, butter and shallots meld together to create a sauce which elevates these haricot vert to a whole new level.
THIS HARICOT VERT RECIPE IS: GLUTEN FREE, PALEO FRIENDLY, LOW CARB AND ADDICTING.
A SIMPLE HARICOT VERT RECIPE READY IN UNDER 10 MINUTES.
My entire life I have hated green beans. No matter how they were made, they never tasted good to me. But, I live and die by the mantra that you taste everything you can, all the time. One day someone made me a plate of haricot vert with lemon, salt and butter. I couldn't believe how good they were. Since then, I have made this version with shallots on a regular basis. It is just so good. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HARICOT VERT AND GREEN BEANS
I've been in commercial kitchens where they try to pass off green beans as haricot vert. Let me tell you, they are not the same. Here's the scoop: haricot vert are designed to be thinner, longer and more tender than its counterpart the traditional green bean. Additionally, they are harvested earlier than green beans so they have more subtle flavor.
The regular old green beans also have a thicker cell wall and retain more water than haricot vert when cooked. I find that this water retention leads to a very "green" flavor to which is overpowering for my palette. I've even tried to slice green beans or quarter them to try to simulate the flavor and texture of haricot vert, but have never been successful in tricking my taste buds.
ONE PAN PREPARATION
Just like my Spicy Italian Broccoli Recipe, this haricot vert recipe is going to use one pan for the preparation. The key is to use a good saute pan (I use a non-stick pan) with tight fitting lid. We want the beans to braise slightly for about seven minutes to soften them up. Then we will remove the lid and saute everything to a delicious conclusion.
I've made this recipe so many times that sometimes I forget to add the lemon in until I remove the lid rather than at the beginning. Both ways are delicious. Adding the lemon in at the beginning tones down the lemon flavor a bit and adds more depth. Adding the lemon in toward the end gives the haricot vert recipe a brightness which is really captivating.
QUICK COOKING TIP: Preparing haricot vert for this recipe is a simple task. Arrange the haricot vert with the stems all on one side and slice them off. Sure, you're going to have some shorter and others longer, but it saves time and the beans don't mind! Discard the stems and you're ready to roll.
Let's get to the good stuff for this haricot vert recipe.
Haricot Vert Recipe
A simple haricot vert recipe with complex, bright flavors. This side dish is the perfect accompaniment to chicken, pork or beef dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 LB Haricot Verts, rinsed and stems trimmed
- 3 tablespoon Butter or other cooking fat, ghee or rendered bacon fat work great too
- ¼ Cup Water
- ¼ Cup Shallot, diced fine
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 Pinches Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Warm a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add in all of the ingredients. Cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook for 7 minutes.
- Remove the lid, stir and turn the heat to high. Continue to stir until the shallots are translucent and the beans are cooked through, approximately 3 minutes more.
- Serve hot and happy eating.
Notes
To make this EXTRA delicious, add in some cooked bacon when you have about 2 minutes left to cook. They should be called the most addictive green bean recipe ever.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Amount Per Serving Calories 119
Final thoughts on this terrifically simple haricot vert recipe:
There are a couple variations you can make to this recipe. First, you can omit the shallots and just enjoy the haricot vert in a delicious lemon butter. Or, you can substitute the shallots for finely chopped onions. In this case, go ahead and cook the onions first so they soften before adding in the remaining ingredients. For even more flavor, you can add in some tarragon, parsley or even a light smattering of herbs de provence.
These delicious French green beans go perfectly with oven roasted chicken. The lemony flavor profile works wonders with my baked lemon artichoke dish (recipe coming tomorrow 2/9/16). We made the beans with my country style coq au vin this past weekend for guests and the brightness really complimented the slow cooked chicken.
Whatever you make to go with this haricot vert recipe, I hope that you like them! Happy eating.
Christine Titus says
I made this side dish to go with some grilled chicken. This recipe is wonderfully delicious! Hubby loved these and so did the kiddos. Simple and quick no fuss side dish.
Scott Groth says
Hi Christine:
Thanks for letting me know- it is one of my less popular recipes which is confusing because it is just so easy and delicious. I'm glad that you found it!!
Let me know if there are any other recipes you would like to see too-
Thanks,
Scott
Sandy Schumer says
Make these green beans! Thank you for putting up this recipe- my green bean hating family loved them!
Scott Groth says
Hey Sandy:
Haha, your green bean hating family... Made me laugh out loud. Happy to turn a green bean hater into a lover!
Thank you for sharing.
Have a fantastic day in the kitchen!
Scott
Linda says
Can you recommend how to cook this recipe using frozen french haricot vert green beans? Trader Joes sells them frozen .