Garlic and Lemon Haricots Verts

When green beans are fresh, it’s hard not to grab handfuls out of the bag as soon as you get home from the market. They’re so crisp and flavorful all on their own (and dipped in hummus). To turn them into a side dish for dinner, though, we love this simple approach. It’s just a few light, delicious ingredients enhance (and don’t take away from) the stringy beans’ fresh flavor.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 pound haricots verts or green beans, cleaned, ends removed
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, heat oil and garlic over low heat. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and allow garlic to sit in oil for an additional 5 minutes.
2. Bring a large saucepan filled with 1 inch of water to a boil. Lower a steamer basket filled with haricots verts or green beans into it, tightly cover pan, and steam for 4-5 minutes, until beans are crisp and tender. Drain beans.
3. Remove garlic from oil and discard. Toss steamed beans with garlic-infused oil, lemon zest, and sea salt; serve hot.

WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE Garlic, olive oil, and sea salt are healthy cooking’s dynamic trio. They’re nutrient-rich and essentially make any food delicious. That’s true here when added to green beans, which are a great source of many vitamins, iron, and magnesium.