Green Beans with Tangy Vinaigrette
Ohhhh, I love summer produce season! Nectarines, peaches, cherries, red ripe tomatoes, green beans, and more. When I saw that green beans were on sale this week, I couldn’t help but snatch them up.
Green beans are one of my favorite simple sides. These are delicious. The sweetness of the caramelized onions combined with the tanginess in the cider vinegar make something truly special. It’s got the same vibe as a three bean salad, but warm and nice enough to serve with almost anything.
These green beans pair beautifully with anything from chicken sausage, to baked sweet potatoes, to grilled or roasted anything (beef, chicken, fish). Their simplicity also makes them a great side for a special meal, like Thanksgiving or even Christmas, when you’ve got lots of other dishes in the works and can’t devote too much time to any one side.
Not a green bean fan? No worries. The caramelized onion vinaigrette method also works really well with other green veggies (brussels sprouts are amazing this way).
Wishing you a very happy (green veggie-filled) Monday!
Green Beans with Caramelized Onion Vinaigrette
- Yield: 4 as a side 1x
Description
If you’re strict Paleo or in the middle of a Whole30, you can skip the sweetener. You may want to add 1-2 tablespoons of apple juice or apple cider in its place for that tiny hint of sweetness, but the extra tangy version is delicious too.
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 2” pieces
- 1 medium red onion, very finely minced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp honey or pure maple syrup
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Begin caramelizing the onions by heating the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and reduce heat to medium-low. Stirring regularly, continue cooking onions over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until onions are golden and caramelized. Add vinegar and honey or syrup to the pan. Turn heat off and toss with cooked green beans.
- While the onions are caramelizing, prepare green beans your favorite way (steam, roast, pan sauté, or even microwave) until crisp-tender. I steamed my green beans. I placed 1-2 inches of water into a large saucepan and placed a steamer basket over top. I added the green beans to the steamer basket, covered the pan with a lid, and brought the water to a boil over medium heat. I cooked the beans about 5 minutes, till they were bright green and crisp-tender.
- Toss cooked beans with the caramelized onion vinaigrette.
- Note: If you want there to be more vinaigrette, you can double the vinegar and honey amounts, and add a bit more olive oil. I found this was plenty of vinaigrette for us, bur do what works for you!