French Green Beans (Haricots Verts) with Shallot Vinaigrette
Haricots verts are thin, delicate French green beans, and they're worth seeking out for a simple, elegant side dish like this one. We love to serve these green beans at the holidays, but they're great anytime. They serve 12 at the holidays when there's a lot of other food around, but make the whole amount for a smaller crowd if they're a bigger part of the meal.
Servings: 12
Calories: 39kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds (680 grams) green beans/haricots verts
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- A few good grinds black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Trim the coarse end from each green bean.
- Meanwhile, fill a wide, lidded pot or pan with 1 inch of water and two teaspoons of and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the trimmed beans, replace lid and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes.
- While the water comes to a boil, place the minced shallot in a wide, shallow serving bowl large enough to accommodate the green beans and pour in the vinegar. Stir to combine. Wait five minutes for the vinegar to take the bite out of the shallots. Then whisk in the mustard, salt, pepper and olive oil until well combined.
- Drain green beans and add to the serving bowl. Toss to coat green beans with dressing and serve warm.
Notes
- Haricots verts are just a slim, delicate variety of green beans. They’re more nuanced in a lot of ways, from texture to flavor. They’re worth seeking out for an elegant dish like this one — but it’s fine to use regular green beans in this recipe if you can’t find them.
- To make this recipe in advance, you've got two options. (1) You can pop off the coarse end of each bean a day or two in advance, after which they cook up in just a few minutes. Make the vinaigrette up to a day in advance and leave at room temperature. Toss everything together just before serving.(2) Or you can prepare the whole dish earlier in the day, leave it covered on the countertop, and serve it at room temperature.
- Store any leftovers tightly sealed in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition
Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.1g | Protein: 1.1g | Fat: 2.5g | Fiber: 1.6g