Haricots Verts With Sautéed Shallots & Toasted Pine Nuts

Written by on in Sides

Every night I makes one kind of green vegetable for dinner. Weather it be broccoli, asparagus, a leafy green or string beans. I have to admit that when I’m in a rush they can be a little boring. Either I steam them of flash boil them and serve. Now don’t get me wrong, they are still good. It’s just that sometimes you want a little pizzazz.

So the other night while making dinner I decided to shake things up. I had just got some string beans at the store that day and was thinking of ways to make them just a little more special. Well it was a success. They were a real hit. Now they are a main stay in my dinner repertoire.

I started by peeling and slicing two shallots and sautéing them until caramelized.

Then to a dry pan I added pine nuts on medium low heat until toasted, being carful to keep an eye because they burn easily.

I filled a medium size pot with water and brought it to a vigorous boil. I added my string beans and cooked for 2 minutes. Then I drained them and filled the pot with cold water to stop the cooking process. Then drained them once again and set them to the side.

Once my shallots were caramelized, I poured the string bean into the pan, added 1 tablespoon of butter and stirred to coat. I mixed in the pine nuts and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Once plated I sprinkled with grated cheese then served.

Haricots Verts With Sautéed Shallots & Toasted Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

  • 1 Small package haricots verts ( about 12 oz.)
  • 2 Large shallots, peeled and sliced
  • 1/4 Cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • Grated cheese for serving

Instructions:

  1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a vigorous boil. Drop in green beans and let cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until al dente. Immediately drain water, then fill with ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again then set aside.
  2. Place pine nuts in a dry medium pan on medium low heat, tossing often. Cook until lightly toasted. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. Peel and slice 2 shallots and place in a large frying pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sauté on medium heat until caramelized.
  4. Once shallots are caramelized pour in string beans, butter and toasted pine nuts and cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove from pan and place in serving bowl and sprinkle with grated cheese and serve.
  5. Enjoy.