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French Green Beans {Haricot Verts}

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I have never been a fan of green beans.  I know, you’re shocked! In fact, I think I have only tried them on two different occasions, and I do believe that they were boiled both times….blech!  Unfortunately, I was not raised in a home that served many vegetables.  My mom does not like them, so she never really made them.  There were the occasional mushy peas, or over-boiled broccoli, but that was about it.

French Green Beans {Haricot Verts} | cookingwithcurls.com

Oh how I wish that I had tried these French Green Beans {Haricot Verts} sooner!!  I am slowly working my way through the produce section, trying to branch out past zucchini and broccoli.  Green beans would not normally be on my radar, but I was preparing a French meal for this month’s Food of the World.  A French meal of Chicken au Champagne, deserved a delicious French side dish.  Let me refresh your memory…..

Chicken au Champagne | cookingwithcurls.com | #foodoftheworld #france

I knew that they were called Haricot Verts {beans green}, so I pulled up a recipe on my phone while walking around the produce section.  It had garlic and almonds, and I think even lemon.  So I bought my green beans and lemons, and never did find that recipe when I got home.  Oh well, I kept searching and found several different versions with lots of fresh herbs…cela semble parfait! {that sounds perfect!}

French Green Beans (Haricot Verts) cookingwithcurls.com

I got home, and went outside to raid the herb garden!!  Tarragon, Italian parsley, chives, and thyme sounded perfect for this dish.  I love how simple they are to prepare as well. 😉

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the green beans for 2 minutes, or 4 minutes if you are using regular green beans…..

French Green Beans boil cookingwithcurls.com

Scoop them out, (slotted spoon, strainer, tongs) and drop them into a bowl filled with ice water to blanch them…..

French Green Beans ice cookingwithcurls.com

This will stop the cooking process and set the color. 😉  Scoop them out of the ice water after a minute or so, and place them on paper towels.  Pat them dry, and set aside…..

French Green Beans dry cookingwithcurls.com

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the shallots and cook for 1 minute…..

French Green Bean shallot cookingwithcurls.com

Stir in the herbs, salt and pepper…..

French Green Beans herbs cookingwithcurls.com

And add the green beans…..

French Green Beans pan cookingwithcurls.com

Toss and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.  Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice…..

French Green Beans {Haricot Verts} cookingwithcurls.com

Ces haricots verts sont délicieux!

So tell me, are you a fan of green beans?

Enjoy!

French Green Beans

Print recipe
French Green Beans
Serves 4
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Total time 15 minutes
Meal type Side Dish
These French Green Beans, blanched and sauteed in butter with shallots and herbs make the perfect side dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 Pound French green beans (you can also use regular green beans)
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 Large shallot (finely minced)
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon (finely chopped)
  • 2 Tablespoons Italian parsley (finely chopped)
  • 2 Tablespoons chives (finely chopped)
  • sea salt and ground pepper (to taste)
  • 1 fresh lemon (cut into wedges)

Directions

Bring 4 to 5 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.
Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.
Trim the ends of the beans, and drop into the boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from water and drop into ice water to blanch.
Strain beans, and move to paper towels. Pat dry and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat butter until melted.
Add the shallots, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until tender.
Add the herbs, salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
Add the green beans and toss to thoroughly coat. Cook for 2 minutes to heat through.
Serve green beans with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Note

If you do not have fresh herbs you can substitute dried, just cut the amount in half.

If using regular green beans, cook for an additional 2 minutes.

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Comments

  3. Yum! I love green beans, even just cooked up with a little olive oil. But these look really tremendous. Because you can cook the beans in advance, they can really be dressed up for a special occasion. I do one with caramelized red onions at Christmas that everyone gobbles up. They are also good in a summer pasta salad with fresh mozzarella and pesto. Eat more veggies, right???

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  4. I love green beans, but they have to be cooked soft! I’m a Texas gal, and we always cooked them with a little bacon fat, a touch of sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Fresh from the garden, they’re divine, especially when cooked with some tiny red potatoes! 🙂

    Reply

  11. I like frsh green beans on occasions if gussied up! Adn these look perfectly gussied up. Pinned for later. Beautiful photos. Happy 4th of July!

    Reply

  12. I love green beans! I have to say, I find it funny that you’re branching out from zucchini – that’s one veggie I’m still trying to like outside of bread.
    I’ve got some yellow “green” beans I need to use, and now I’ve got my recipe! Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friday

    Reply

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