When it comes to green beans, I’m a -plain Jane kind of girl. I usually saute them in a little bit of oil, season them with salt and pepper, and top them off with a small pat of butter. But last Sunday for our Easter dinner, I changed it up a little bit. I decided on making a greens beans tossed in a maple syrup-Dijon dressing with crumbled bacon and candied pecans. Oh my word, this was the perfect side dish to serve along side gratin potatoes, mac and cheese, fruit salad, and spiral ham. I loved the the sweetness from the maple syrup with the tang of the mustard. Adding the bacon and pecans pulled everything together for one fantastic side dish.
Next time you feel like jazzing up some green beans, give this recipe a go. Enjoy!
Place the oil, maple syrup, Dijon Mustard, and garlic in a food processor or blender. Blend until emulsified.
Blanch the beans by boiling them for 3-5 minutes until cooked through but still slightly crunchy.
Strain the beans immediately and throw them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. They’ll stay crispy and keep their beautiful green color. Wait a few minutes and drain them again. Allow them to dry or pat them dry with a paper towel.
Toss the beans in the maple-Dijon dressing.
Stir in some good quality crumbled bacon, candied pecans, and a little bit of kosher salt and pepper. Mercy!
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
- 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- ¼ cup chopped candied pecans
- salt and pepper
- Emulsify maple syrup, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and garlic in a food processor or blender, and set aside.
- Blanch green beans by boiling them for 3-5 minutes until crisp. Drain the beans immediately and transfer them to a large bowl of ice water. Wait three minutes and drain. Allow the green beans to air dry or by patting them with a paper towel.
- Toss the beans in the dressing and top them off with the crumbled bacon and pecans. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Hi. Is it possible to serve this recipe hot? I understand about stopping the cooking process with the ice, but can I add everything then put in oven or microwave before I put it on the table?
Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks Denise!
Oh my…. this is the recipe for Thanksgiving!! Been looking all over for a good green bean recipe- you’re my new fav food blog!!
thankyouthankyouthankyou!
I recently discovered your blog and, being the foodie I am, flipped through all the recipes. I pinned this one on Pinterest and 35 PEOPLE repinned it. Guess bacon and pecans sound as yummy as I thought.
This is really good information. You have done an excellent job of research and writing.
Thank you M for reminding me that I have a bag of those very same green beans in my freezer right now!
You had me at “bacon” LOL! This sounds like a really nice Thanksgiving side dish also. Thanks for posting it!
This recipe looks fabulous! I love dijon vinaigrette and candied pecans.
This is my favorite “special” green bean recipe. If I can’t get good fresh beans, I use Trader Joe’s frozen Haricots Vert–they’re so young and tender. You’d never believe they were frozen.
Bacon Balsamic Green Beans
1 pound of green beans, blanched–Plunge in boiling water for 30 seconds-2min (depends on how crunchy you want your beans) and remove and drain.
1-2 shallots, chopped –sizes vary so drastically and some people like more shallot flavor than others
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar–I use an inexpensive vinegar from Trader Joe’s.*
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup of sliced almonds, toasted– the amount can vary according to the tastes of you and your guests.
This is my go to green bean recipe. Fry bacon in a deep sided saute pan and drain off almost all the bacon fat, reserving 1 T to saute. Set the bacon aside on paper towels to cool and drain. Saute a shallot or two in the bit of fat, then deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar and 2 T. brown sugar. Stir fry blanched green beans in the vinegar mixture and finish with crumbled bacon and almonds.
These beans are even better cold the next day, but they’re a bit limp so I save them for myself and my husband or for a casual picnic.
*Since you’re making a hot vinaigrette, the flavors of an expensive balsamic would be lost. The vinegar I use is real balsamic and not the cheap “balsamic” found in a lot of grocery stores that are actually red wine vinegar and caramel coloring instead of simple grape must. Red wine vinegar is too acidic.
Wow these look amazing – your recipes are always so special and yet so very accessible! Hope you had a wonderful and blessed holiday Alice!
Hi!
Crumbled bacon and candied pecans! What a great idea!
I definitely have to give it a try.
I found your wonderful blog when I was searching for a good Pad Thai recipe the other day. Your Pad Thai was so so so delicious and I learned a lot from you. I mentioned about your recipe and blog in mine…I hope it was ok…
It was the best Pad Thai I’ve ever tasted! Thank you!!!
Oh boy, this looks too good to be healthy! I’ve always sauteed my green beans in salt – plain and simple – but the candied pecans and syrup mixture sounds incredible. I can’t wait to try it.
This looks amazing – I love the idea of combining the sweet and tangy flavors, along with the bacon, in this dish.
Someone brought something similar to a potluck once, but added a certain type of cheese – I can’t remember if it was feta or gorgonzola, but it was DELISH! Thanks for sharing.
~Brooke
http://www.brookesummer.com
YUMM! These look so yummy. I can’t wait to make this next week!
I’m usually a plain green bean girl, too, but I could definitely use this recipe to those times when you just want a little something more for a side dish. They look delicious.
I think bacon makes everything better! Looks delicious
omg these are the most delicious vegetable dish i’ve ever seen! YUMS!
These look awesome! I especially like the pecans on the beans 🙂
oooooooooooooohhhhh my gosh, this looks good! 😀
The bacon – did you cook it in the oven?
okay! now we are cooking! I LOVE the idea of Dijon!
Im not a huge fan of green beans but this recipe is making me change my mind. I am going to make this tonight with some roasted chicken.
this totally made my mouth water!
Now this is exactly how I like to eat green beans Alice!
I’ve done a similar thing with walnuts…
Love the photo!
Can’t wait for green beans from the garden…
Interesting about throwing in the ice. These green beans look perfect
Looks so good! I usually do mine with fried shallots, bacon, & almonds. I can’t wait to try yours….your combination has me wanting to try them right now!