Roasted Green Beans with Pistachios raises boring green beans to another level of flavor and texture, with crumbled queso fresco, and sweet-tart glaze, and crunchy pistachios.
I bought some green beans on impulse because they looked good. Sadly, any ideas I had at the store disappeared when I got home. Fast forward to the end of the week and those beans are begging to be made into something delicious! So I dug around in my cookbooks for inspiration and came away with this the idea for this recipe.
It is so delicious! It will make you crave green beans! The beans themselves have amazing texture, just a slight bite and slightly charred edges from roasting in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper. A little more oil is infused with garlic and lime zest, then boosted even more by adding honey and lime juice. Toss it with the beans, pistachios, and crumbled queso fresco for a flavor and texture explosion. The very best twist on the humble green bean.
Roast the Green Beans
I love roasting veggies in the winter. Not only does it bring out the best in the vegetable, but it gives life to produce that isn’t in its prime season.
Drizzle your beans with a little oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper before roasting for a total of 20 minutes. Toss them halfway so they cook more evenly and take them out of the oven when they are just fork-tender. You don’t want them to get too soft.
Make a Glaze for your Green Beans with Pistachios
Start by infusing a little more olive oil with some garlic and lime zest. This is such an easy method to put flavor into your oil for vinaigrettes and sauces! Simply simmer the oil with the garlic and lime zest, then remove it from the heat to sit while the flavors all blend together.
Once your oil has cooled slightly, whisk in some honey and lime juice.
Finish Your Green Beans with Pistachios
You haven’t broken a sweat and are almost done with this amazing side dish! When your beans are fork-tender and your glaze is infused and whisked, toss it all together in a large bowl. Add all but a couple of tablespoons of the pistachios, then put it all in a serving bowl. Sprinkle the queso fresco and remaining pistachios on top for the loveliest presentation and serve immediately.
Serve Your Green Beans with Pistachios
This is an amazing side dish for any number of meals. It complements meat really well, so try it alongside chicken, pork, or steak. Try it with Grilled Bone-In Chicken Breasts or Balsamic Chicken (this recipe minus the salsa).
Don’t Forget Dessert
One of these amazing desserts will end your meal perfectly!
- Decadent Dark Chocolate Mug Cake
- Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze
- Dark Chocolate Pecan Cookies
- Gluten Free Almond Caramel Cookies
Enjoy!
Roasted Green Beans with Pistachios
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green beans trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lime zest from 2 small limes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lime juice from 1-2 small limes
- 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
- 1/4 cup roasted pistachios roughly chopped
Instructions
- Prep: Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and allow to preheat in the oven.
- Roast: Toss the green beans with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. When the oven and pan are hot, carefully remove the pan from the oven and spread the green beans onto it in an even layer. Return to the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Mix the beans and roast for another 10 minutes, or until they are fork tender (but not too soft).
- Infuse: While the beans roast, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil with the garlic and lime zest. Heat in a small pot until bubbling, then let sit to steep and cool slightly. After a few minutes, whisk in the honey and lime juice.
- Finish: When the beans are done, remove them from the oven and put them back into your large bowl. Pour the olive oil and garlic mixture over them, add all but 2 tablespoons of the pistachios, and toss until evenly coated. Taste and add additional salt and/or pepper as needed.
- Serve: Place into a serving bowl and top with the cheese and remaining pistachios. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use salted or unsalted pistachios for this recipe. If you are using salted pistachios, use a little less salt in the recipe and adjust to taste at the end.
- Substitute other cheeses if you prefer. Feta, parmesan, or other firm cheeses would be great, too!
- Omit the cheese altogether to make this a wonderful vegan dish.
- This recipe was inspired by Roasted Green Beans with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts from Vegetables Illustrated by Cook’s Illustrated, also found on the Cook’s Country website, here (accessible only with a membership).
