Category: Snap/Green Beans

This hearty vegetable-based dish makes a meal on its own, though you can stir in shredded precooked chicken in the end, if you like.

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 slices cener-cut bacon, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crush
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 6 ounces (1-inch) cut Romano beans
• 6 ounces (1-inch) cut green beans
• 6 ounces (1-inch) cut yellow wax beans
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups diced plum tomato (about 5 tomatoes)
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grate Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

CROSTINI:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Preparation: To prepare stew, cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacom from pan, and set aside.
Add garlic to drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add red pepper; cook 20 seconds, stirring frequently. Add beans and salt; cook 3 minutes, stirring freuqently. stir in tomatoes; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, rosemary, and black pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until beans are tender. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese.
Preheat oven to 425°.
To prepare crostini, brush oil evenly over cut sides of bread; rub bread with cut sides of garlic. sprinkle one side of each piece of bread evenly with rosemary. Arrange slices on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Ladle 1 1/4 cups soup into each of 4 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese; serve each with 2 crostini.

Notes: Use all green beans if Romano and yellow wax beans are unavailable.

NUTRITION FACTS

Amount Per Serving

Cals: 243 From Fat: na

Total Fat: 8.9g

Cholesterol: 16mg

Sodium: 783mg

Total Carb: 31.3g

Dietary Fiber: 6.6g

Sugars: na

Protein: 12.8g

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic clobes, crushed and minced
• 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup seeded chopped tomato
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed

Preparation: Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; slowly add oil, whisking to combine. Stir in tomato and thyme; let stand 10 minutes.
Steam beans, covered, 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Cut into 2-inch pieces; add to tomato mixture, tossing gently to coat.

Notes: Use a garlic press, if you have one, to crush the garlic for this summery dressing.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serv. Size: 3/4 cup

Amount Per Serving

Cals: 73 From Fat: 44

Total Fat: 3.6g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 162mg

Total Carb: 9.8g

Dietary Fiber: 4.2g

Sugars: na

Protein: 2.4g

6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation: Cook beans in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water; drain. Pat beans completely dry with paper towels.
Heat a 14-inch wok over high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add green beans to wok; stir-fry 3 minutes or until browned. spoon green beans into a bowl.
Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add shallots, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper; stir-fry 15 seconds or just until garlic begins to brown. Return green beans to wok. Add vinegar, soy sauce, and salt to wok; toss to combine.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serv. Size: About 1/2 cup

Amount Per Serving

Cals: 60 From Fat: 42

Total Fat: 2.8g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 287mg

Total Carb: 7.4g

Dietary Fiber: 2.9g

Sugars: na

Protein: 1.3g

Tart vs. Sweet
This heavenly side dish contrasts sweet roasted green beans with tart cheese, olives, and tomatoes.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, corsely chopped
• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Preparation: Preheat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Places beans on prepared baking sheet.
Drizzle the beans with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper; toss gently to coat. Spread the beans in an even layer. Roast for 10 minutes.
Stir beans. Roast about 15 – 20 minutes more or until beans are dark golden brown in spots and have started to shrivel.
In a large bowl combine dried tomatoes, pitted kalamata olives, fresh oregano and lemon juice. Add roasted green beans; toss gently to coat.

Notes: To serve, sprinkle with 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese.

The mild cheese compliments this slightly spicy soup.

6 servings

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup finely chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup sliced carrot (about 2 large)
• 1/2 cup frozen French-cut green beans
• 1/2 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 beef-flavored dry bouillon cubes, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
• 6 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation: Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add celery, onion, garlic, and turkey. Cook 5 minutes or until ground turkey is browned, stirring to crumble.
Add 3 cups water and remaining ingredients except cheese, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves.
Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

NUTRITION FACTS

Amount Per Serving

Cals: 238 From Fat: 16

Total Fat: 4.3g

Cholesterol: 52mg

Sodium: 899mg

Total Carb: 18.4g

Dietary Fiber: 5.5g

Sugars: na

Protein: 31.9g

20 servings

Ingredients:

• 12 slices applewood-smoked bacon, corasely chopped
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 (15-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes in juice
• 1/2 teaspoon (scant) ground allspice
• 6 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans wih liquid
• 6 pickle jalapeno chiles, seeded, diced
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation: Saute bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until crisp; drain on paper towels.
Pour off all but 6 tablespoons drippings. Add onions and garlic to pot.
Saute until beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice and allspice; simmer until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.
Add beans, jalapenos, and bacon; simmer until flavors blend, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes longer. Season beans with salt and pepper.
Mix cilantro into beans. Transfer to large bowl and serve.

Prep: 30 minutes; Total: 30 minutes

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts
• 8 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 2-inch-long pieces
• 12 ounces linguine
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preparation: Place yolks in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in lemon juice, then cream.
Cook artichoke hearts and green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Using sieve, transfer vegetables from pot to large skillet. Return water to boil. Add pasta; boil until tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid.
Add pasta to skillet with vegetables. Whisk 3/4 cup cooking liquid into yolk mixture. Add mixture, 3/4 cup cheese, and parsley to skillet.
Toss over medium heat just until sauce thickens and coats pasta, about 4 minutes, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry. Season with salt and pepper. Serve passing additional cheese alongside.

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 thyme sprigs
• 4 parsley sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
• 1/2 pound fresh yellow wax beans, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation: Tie thyme, parsley, and bay leaf together with twine. Place in a large skillet with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute.
Add beans; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain well; discard herbs. Places beans in a bowl. Add oil and remaining ingedients; toss well to coat.

Notes: Adding a bundle of herbs (bouquet garni) to the steaming liquid imparts subtle flavor and aroma to the vegetables.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serv. Size: About 1 cup beans

Amount Per Serving

Cals: 49 From Fat: na

Total Fat: 1.7g

Cholesterol: 1mg

Sodium: 161mg

Total Carb: 6.9g

Dietary Fiber: 2g

Sugars: na

Protein: 1.7g

8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds harictos verts, trimmed
• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 2 medium)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted walnut oil
• 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation: Cook beans in boiling water for 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge beans into ice water; drain.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon. Add shallots to drippings in pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender. Combine shallots and bacon in a large bowl.
Add beans to pan; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add beans, oil, vinegar, and salt to bacon mixture; toss to combine. Sprinkle with walnuts and parsley.

Notes: Haricots verts are tiny, fresh French green beans. If you can’t find them, subsitute regular fresh beans, which you’ll need to cook a few minutes longer. You can also use white wine vinegar instead of Champagne, if necessary.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serv. Size: About 1 cup

Amount Per Serving

Cals: 108 From Fat: na

Total Fat: 6.2g

Cholesterol: 4mg

Sodium: 327mg

Total Carb: 11.3g

Dietary Fiber: 4.2g

Sugars: na

Protein: 4.2g

6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 8 cups water
• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed

Preparation: Combine butter, hazelnuts, rind, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, stir with a fork until well blended.
Bring 8 cups water and remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add green beans, cook 3 minutes, drain. Return pan to medium heat. Add beans and butter mixture; cook 3 minutes or until the butter mixture melts. Toss gently to coat.

Notes: Prepare the butter up to a week ahead and refrigerate, or up to three weeks in advance and freeze. Prepare extra butter to serve with bread or baked potatoes.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serv. Size: 1 1/3 cups

Amount Per Serving

Cals: 54 From Fat: 52

Total Fat: 3.1g

Cholesterol: 3mg

Sodium: 400mg

Total Carb: 6.4g

Dietary Fiber: 3.8g

Sugars: na

Protein: 1.7g