Green Beans with Honey Mustard Dressing
As if those maple-candied pecans weren’t great enough on their own, I used them to top this gorgeous green bean dish for Valentine’s Day dinner, and OH, DOLLY IT WAS GOOD.
I served roasted chicken with smoky apricot barbecue sauce, lots of fresh fruit, roasted sweet potato wedges, and these green beans. Tossed in a honey-mustard dressing and topped with crispy bacon crumbles and maple candied pecans, these were no ordinary green beans. Michael and I agreed, they were the best part of the meal, and I want them on repeat all. the. time.
We made these with fresh green beans, but there’s no reason they wouldn’t work with frozen beans. They’re a super-simple, extra pretty side dish that goes with almost anything–fish, beef, pork, chicken, or pasta.
As for changing them up, you could certainly skip the bacon if you’re vegetarian or the pecans if you don’t want the added calories. You don’t need much in the way of bacon or pecans, so we think they’re worth it. Still, if you go without, the honey-mustard dressing is light enough just to coat the beans, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper would be enough to make you a very happy eater.
Nothing like a simple veggie dish to kick off the week. What are you cooking?
Green Beans with Honey Mustard Dressing
- Yield: 4-5 as a side dish 1x
Ingredients
- 1–1 1/2 lbs green beans, ends trimmed (don’t thaw if using frozen)
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Optional garnishes:
- Cooked, crumbled bacon (about 4 pieces was plenty)
- 1/2 cup toasted or candied pecans, lightly chopped
Instructions
- Steam green beans (I place a metal steamer basket in a saucepan with 1-2 inches of water, low enough not to touch the steamer basket. Place beans in the steamer basket and cover the pot. Bring water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Steam beans for 4-6 minutes, or until crisp-tender).
- While beans are steaming, whisk together honey, mustard, and olive oil in a small bowl.
- When the beans are cooked to your desired level of tenderness, remove them from the pan and toss with the honey mustard dressing. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Top with desired garnishes and serve warm.
Yum! What a super simple yet super fabulous side dish. Pinning! Thanks Emily! And glad you had a great Valentines…dinner at least. =)