Lemony Green Beans with Pine Nuts & Garlic
These lemony green beans with pine nuts and garlic are flavorful, simple, and go great alongside pretty much any main dish! They’re one of my go-to sides for weeknight meals, holidays, and dinner parties.
Fancy green bean varieties are back at the farmer’s market and I am in my peak Millennial foodie mode. Sundresses and mesh produce bags are involved. I stroll around with a coffee and pretend I’m at a Parisian outdoor market. It’s a whole thing.
The benefit of this is I come home with armfuls of fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies. The fruit sometimes gets spooned over yogurt but more oftentimes get baked into a galette. With the veggies, I like to make something that’s fancy enough to serve guests but simple and attainable enough for an elevated weeknight dinner. Lemony charred broccoli and this simple green salad with sherry shallot dressing are some of my other faves!
These green beans I learned how to make in culinary school are a lovely example of my favorite kind of veggie side dish situation! They’re bright, fresh, savory, a bit spicy, and have a nice crunch thanks to the pine nuts. Serve
I make these green beans at least once a week
I love a good (a.k.a. not boring) veggie side dish. And these green beans are a total staple around here whether I’m making dinner for a big crowd or just me and my husband.
- The combo of sautéing and steaming makes these green beans tender but still a little crisp on the outside.
- They’re seasoned with shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon, and toasty pine nuts!
- This recipe makes four generous servings which is nice if you’re just making these green beans on a weeknight. But, if you’re making the recipe for a dinner party or holiday, it’s super easy to multiply!
- They’re beyond delicious and go with just about any main course from roasted chicken to pot roast to veggie soup.
The ingredient list
- Pine nuts – these will be our topping at the end to add a nice toasty, earthy flavor. You can also use almonds or sunflower seeds.
- Green beans – look for green beans that are bright green, firm, and don’t have a ton of discolored brown spots.
- Shallot – just a small one to add a little extra flavor! Feel free to use 1/2 of a small sweet onion instead.
- Garlic – to complement the lemon and pepper flakes.
- Red pepper flakes – I like adding these for a little spice. You can skip them if you’re not into heat!
- Lemon – we’ll need the zest and the juice in this recipe.
- Kitchen staples – olive oil, unsalted butter, salt, and pepper.
How to make this recipe step-by-step
- Start by toasting the pine nuts in a large, dry pan. Stir often to prevent burning. Spoon them into a small bowl and set aside.
- Next, add the green beans to the hot pan. Add the water and bring it to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and steam for 3-5 minutes.
- Then, remove the lid from the pan and stir the green beans until the water evaporates.
- Make a well in the center of the green beans. Add some olive oil and butter. Sauté the shallots until they’re soft and starting to brown on the edges.
- Next, add the garlic. Cook for about 30 more seconds, until the garlic is fragrant. Remove the green beans from the heat and stir in the red pepper flakes, lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Spoon the green beans onto a serving dish. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and enjoy!
Refrigerating leftovers & reheating
To store leftover green beans, let them come to room temperature. Then, spoon them into an airtight container. Keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat the leftovers, you can either microwave them for 30-60 seconds until hot. Or, you can always reheat them with a little olive oil in a pan on the stove. Heat the green beans just until they’re hot so they don’t get too overcooked!
Using other green bean varieties
While I typically just use the regular green beans you find in the grocery store, you can use any green bean variety in this recipe. Just keep in mind you might need to adjust the cooking time depending on variety.
- Haricots verts – because this variety is very thin and delicate, I’d only steam the green beans for about 1-2 minutes. Drain the water, and quickly proceed with the rest of the recipe to avoid overcooking the beans.
- Long beans & wax beans – these varieties cooks similarly to green beans, so go ahead and proceed with the recipe as normal!
- Romano beans – this variety takes a bit more time to cook. Steam the beans for closer to 5-6 minutes. Then, saute the beans until they’re tender and add the remaining aromatics.
Serving suggestions
These green beans go with pretty much anything but these are some of my favorites!
- Pot Roast with Red Wine & Shallots
- Beef Stroganoff with Shallots & Brandy
- Reverse Sear Filet Mignon with Peppercorn Sauce
- Short Rib Beef Bourguignon
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken & Orzo Skillet
Final tips
- To avoid soggy green beans, only trim off the ends. Avoid cutting the green beans in half whenever possible so they don’t absorb too much water.
- Once the water is evaporated, sauté the aromatics quickly to avoid overcooking the green beans. You want them to be a little crisp when you bite them.
- To char the green beans a bit more, you can skip the steaming part. Just heat the olive oil, add the green beans and cook for about 10-12 minutes until they are tender-crisp and charred on the outside.
- If you want to make the green beans in advance, just undercook them a tad. Then, keep them warm in a low oven until you’re ready to serve. They will continue cooking in the oven, which is why it’s best to undercook the beans a bit! Don’t keep them in the oven longer than 30 minutes.
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Lemony Green Beans with Pine Nuts & Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tbs pine nuts
- 1 lb green beans, trimmed
- 1/3 c water
- 1/2 Tbs olive oil
- 1/2 Tbs unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, plus more or less, to taste
- 1 tsp lemon zest (about 1 small lemon)
- Lemon juice, to taste
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Equipment
- 12-inch skillet
Instructions
- In a large dry skillet, cook the pine nuts over medium heat until they are toasted and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Spoon the pine nuts into a bowl and set aside. Return the pan to the stove.
- Place green beans in the skillet. Add the water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the green beans are slightly tender but still crisp.
- Remove the lid from the pan and stir until the water is evaporated, about 3-4 minutes. Then, make a well in the center of the pan and add the olive oil and butter until it is melted.
- Add the shallots to the olive oil-butter mixture and sauté until the shallots are soft and starting to brown on the edges, about 3-4 minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir the green beans with the shallot-garlic mixture.
- Remove the pan from the heat (at this point, the green beans should be crisp-tender). Add the red pepper flakes, lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss, taste, and add additional seasonings if desired.
- Spoon the green beans onto a serving dish and sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
