French Green Beans (Haricots Verts)

I have a simple trick for cooking French Green Beans (Haricots Verts) perfectly, seasoned with shallot and a hint of lemon.

French green beans make a great side dish for most any meal, but if you have a love for French inspired food, be sure to check out my Leek and Potato Soup, Croque Monsieur and French Onion Soup!

Green beans is probably the vegetable served most often at our house, so I thought it was about time I shared my recipe and tips for making them, right! The biggest tip is in not overcooking them, and seasoning them perfectly.

French Green Beans vs. Regular Green Beans

I hope we’re all familiar with traditional green beans, with are long, thin, and often sold by the pound or in prepackaged bags simply labeled, “green beans”, at the grocery store.

French green beans (also called Haricots Verts) are slightly longer and skinnier than regular green beans and may be a little bit more expensive. They are harvested earlier then regular green beans, so they are thought to be more tender and more flavorful. You can find them at most grocery stores as well, just look for the label “french green beans” or “haricots verts.”

In my opinion, French green beans look a little bit fancier and you may notice many nicer restaurants use French green beans instead of regular green beans.  Haricots Verts (prounounced “arr-ee-co vair” is the French translation which literally means, “green” (vert) and “bean” (haricot).

When Buying Green Beans:

• Check for crispness: green beans should be firm to the point that they would snap in half if you bent them. No one wants to eat a wilty green bean!
• Check for freshness: Look for beans that are brightly colored and that don’t have brown spots, blemishes, or signs of aging or tears.
• Uniformity is nice:  As best you can, try to get beans that are similar in size and shape so they cook uniformly.

What’s the Trick?

The trick for perfect green beans is to cook them until they are just barely tender (still have a slight crisp), and then seal in their moisture with a fat, like olive oil or butter. In this case we are using butter!

Ingredients:

• French Green beans
• Butter
• Shallots
• Salt and Pepper
• Lemon juice

How to cook Haricots Verts:

1. Add beans and water to a large skillet.

2. Bring to a boil and cook until barely tender, but still crisp. About 5 minutes, tossing occasionally. Drain and set aside.

3. Add butter to the skillet over medium high heat. Once melted add the shallots and saute for 1 minute.

4. Add the beans and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Optional Add-In’s

• Toated almonds
• Bacon bits
• Roasted garlic
• Diced ham

Serve Haricots Verts with:

• Chicken with 40 Cloves Garlic
• Baked Salmon
• Meatball Casserole
• Chicken Cordon Bleu

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Recipe

5 from 106 votes

Haricots Verts (French Green Beans)

Perfectly cooked French Green beans (Haricots Verts) with shallot and a hint of lemon. They make the best side dish to any meal!

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Author Lauren Allen

Course Side Dish

Cuisine French

Servings 5

Calories 92

Prep 5 minutes mins

Cook 15 minutes mins

Total 20 minutes mins

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cup water
• ▢ 1 pound French green beans , firm and small
• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 shallot , peeled and chopped
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt , or to taste
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , or to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Place beans in a large skillet. Add 2 cups water to the skillet.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until barely tender, but still crisp. About 5 minutes, tossing occasionally. Drain beans and water and set aside.
• Add butter to the skillet over medium heat. Once melted add the shallots and saute for 1 minute.
• Add the beans and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
• Store cooked green beans in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat for a few seconds in the microwave or enjoy cold.  I love to eat them cold on a salad.

Notes

Optional Add-In's

• Toated almonds
• Bacon bits
• Roasted garlic
• Diced ham

Nutrition

Calories: 92kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 187mgPotassium: 208mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 836IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg

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