These green beans have been consumed a lot lately in our house. I’ve been pairing them with citrus-marinated chicken as shown below.
I’ve also been paring them with Paul McCartney’s refried bean tacos, pesto-yogurt roasted chicken drumsticks, you name it. These green beans can pair with just about anything and are a nice break from plain old green beans.
My family loves these beans. Eli’s first comment when trying these green beans was that they reminded him of our minty limeade. I thought that was a silly comparison, but you know, I sort of have to agree with him, because they have do have a sweet and minty flavor to them. The fresh lemon, mint and dill really give these beans a kick of flavor. This is an easy weeknight veggie side because the beans can be blanched ahead of time, like earlier that day or even the day before, just wrap them in a paper towel, place them in a resealable bag and chill till you need them. All you have to do come dinner time is chop up the fresh dill, mint and zest and juice up a lemon. Easy peasy and the perfect weeknight side dish.
green beans with mint, dill, lemon and feta:
recipe from Bon Appetit
serves 4 as a side dish
I cut the original recipe in half as it served 8 people and I’m only serving my family of 4. If you want to make a larger batch then just double the quantities below.
- 3/4 pound green beans, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped or torn
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon matchstick-size strips lemon zest – I just zested a whole lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese – Feel free to use more cheese if you want, I think these beans are great on their own without tons of cheese
- optional – freshly ground pepper and kosher salt to taste – We didn’t add any salt or pepper, as we thought the beans tasted perfectly as they were
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. While your water is coming to a boil, wash and trim up your green beans. You just want to trim a tiny bit off of the stem side. The other tip is fine to leave on.
Toss the beans into the salted and boiling water, (you’re basically blanching them) and cook the beans until just tender 3-4 minutes (depending on the size of your green beans).
I always cook my beans for exactly 3 minutes and they are perfect!
Note: Timing can vary depending on the size of your vegetable. There is only one sure way to tell if your vegetable is done: put it in you mouth and eat it.
Transfer the beans with either a slotted spoon or mesh strainer to a bowl of ice water. This stops the cooking of the beans.
Drain the beans, dry them off, and set them aside.
Zest the lemon into matchstick-sized strips and squeeze 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. I used this zester below which is different than my microplane one.
Wash and chop up your mint and dill and measure out your feta cheese.
Now that all of your ingredients are prepped, let’s make the salad.
Get out a large bowl and toss together the beans, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh mint, 1 tablespoon dill, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, lemon zest and feta. Feel free to season the beans with a pinch of salt and pepper. I didn’t add any salt or pepper, as I thought the beans were perfect the way they were.
You can also add more mint, dill, lemon juice or feta to taste as well. I mean it’s a salad, so feel free to add and delete what you wish.
Serve up the salad immediately.
NICE….
I love it, we were just wondering how we should eat all the green beans we picked from the garden! And mint, dill, lemon and feta? Be still my heart! Such a great flavor combination 🙂
Hello! I made this recipe this evening along with the citrus marinated chicken. Both dishes were just wonderful! I served it along with bulgur and a corn recipe I found elsewhere. Several months ago I made your garbanzo bean salad which was just outstanding! The three dishes I have had now are light tasting and are just darn good. I really appreciate reading your blog and your stories and pictures. Thank you for posting these recipes, I look forward to trying more!
Hi Sarah! Thanks so much for your sweet comment, it made my day a bit more brighter. I’m so happy you’re 3 for 3 on the blog! I hope the cooking streak continues! Have a great night girl! xoxo, Jackie
Oh this is SO up my alley!! LOVE LOVE these ingredients and how perfectly the beans go so well with so many dishes – love the mint /dill/lemon/feta combo!
Mary x
I made these green beans last night. They are even better than they look! Wow!
Hi Sara! Awesome! I’m so glad you made these green beans and loved them. Yes, they are better than they look, they were a bit difficult to get a good photo of. 🙂
I love French style green beans like these. They are so easy to make and are price friendly.
We have a special occasion on 30 September, and wonder if you know of any new ‘in spots’ in Marin for lunch (two adults). I try to keep up with them, but am a little behind.
Thanks for any help.
Margie
Hi Margie. I responded to you earlier this morning on my contact page! Again, happy early birthday 🙂 I will let you know if I think of any other restaurants other than the ones I listed 🙂 xoxo, Jackie
Looks fresh and yummy! Perfect for summer:)
You should try this salad in the next Jensen throw down 🙂 Maybe it will be Kurt’s 4 bean salad 🙂 xoxo, Jackie
I love green beans… but I would never have thought to add mint. I have tons of it at the moment and I need more ways to use it, so I’ll try this out!
Hi Jaclyn! I never thought to add mint either until I saw this recipe, but really love the flavor it gives to the beans. I’m not a fan of plain green beans, I need them mixed up with fresh herbs like this or sautéed with shallots. 🙂 xoxo, Jackie
Good morning Jackie! What a great combination of flavors for green beans, and so pretty too. You cook green beans just as I do, pretty much blanch them and boil them for 3-4 minutes and put them in an ice bath. They always come out great – still crisp but tender and colorful. I just made green beans last night this way, plain ones though. These look way more interesting. 🙂 xoxo, Sharon
You and I are on the same page girl. The original recipes called for the beans to be blanched for 5 minutes, but that is way too long in my book. I like them a bit crisper. I love how they get greener as they cook up, so pretty 🙂 Your salad with the green beans and salmon looked great BTW and uber healthy! xoxo, Jackie
What a beautiful side dish of beans! They are so pretty though they steal the show away. 🙂
I agree girl! Veggies and one of the most beautiful things to photograph. 🙂