Haricots Verts with Tomato Almond Pesto

This is adapted from a very delicious recipe by Chris Morocco for Bon Appétit. To make his dish a little healthier, the green beans can be steamed or boiled instead of sautéing in oil. This lowers the fat content and total calories of the dish. The tomato almond pesto is so savory, so there are no sacrifices on flavor! This makes a great healthy side dish for the holidays. It is packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You can even make it a day ahead! Just dry and store the green beans after blanching, keep the pesto in a separate container, and combine the two when you are ready to serve.

Haricots verts are also known as French green beans. They are slightly smaller in size than a standard green bean and more tender. You can easily substitute 1:1 with fresh, standard green beans if needed. Steaming green beans preserves a little more of the nutrients than boiling, but either cook method works here.

Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Serving Size: 3 oz Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients:

¼ cup unsalted roasted almonds, whole

2 pints cherry tomatoes

2 pounds French green beans, trimmed

1 garlic clove, chopped

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 tsp paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 450˚F. Add almonds to an unlined baking sheet, roast for 5 minutes, tossing midway through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. 

2. Slice tomatoes in half. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil and add all of the tomatoes. Bake or roast in oven, turning once until blistered and lightly charred (about 15-20 minutes). Drain any excess fluid. Set aside to cool. 

3. While the tomatoes are cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil. On the side, prepare a large bowl filled ⅓ to ½ of the way with ice water. 

4. Add green beans to steamer basket over boiling water (or you can boil directly in water) and cook until bright green in color and tender crisp, about 3 minutes. 

5. Strain the green beans from the water, and immediately transfer to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Leave to cool down, about 10 minutes. 

6. While the beans are cooling, finely chop almonds in a food processor. 

7. Add garlic, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, and half of tomatoes to the food processor; pulse to a coarse pesto consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

8. Drain beans from the ice water and pat dry with a towel. 

9. In a large bowl, toss beans with pesto. Add remaining tomatoes and transfer to a platter.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 3 oz

100 Calories

Total Fat 6 g

Carbohydrates 10 g

Fiber 4 g

Sodium 10 mg

Notes:

This recipe can be halved or quartered to make less servings while keeping the ingredients the same.

Extra pesto can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days.