If you’re hurrying to prepare dinner and need a simple vegetable side dish, these quick steamed green beans with Dijon vinaigrette are for you! Are you ready in 15 minutes? This is one of my favorite low-mix dishes, and it’s very nutritious.
I could quickly call this dish “last-minute green beans.”
I make it as a side dish every time someone comes over for dinner, and I haven’t given much thought to vegetable side dishes.
When I want a green side dish, I make it too, but I want something other than a side salad.
Best of all, it’s a green vegetable I can rely on when preparing a meal quickly and easily.
It takes about 15 minutes to steam green beans from start to finish (not including the time it takes to steam with water heating). They’re simple, yes, but they’re delicious and healthy.
What could be more low-key?
Praise the humble mung bean.
Green beans are a vegetable that, like cabbage, doesn’t get the publicity it deserves.
It may be relevant. If you grew up eating overcooked or underseasoned green beans, you may think of them as mushy or tasteless.
It doesn’t have to be this way. When cooked, green beans taste sweet and crisp.
Green bean nutrition
Regarding greens, leafy greens – kale, collard greens, beets, etc. – tend to get the most praise for their nutrient density.
However, as I often tell my nutrition clients, almost all green vegetables have value.
Green beans are rich in nutrients. They are a great source of vitamin C, which is essential for good immune function.
Like many other green vegetables, green beans are also an excellent source of vitamin K. Vitamin K and calcium play an essential role in maintaining bone health.
Green beans provide folic acid, iron, and potassium. And, like most plant-based foods, they provide dietary fiber that helps you feel full and contributes to digestive health.
In short, these humble vegetables are nutritious.
How to steam green beans
There are many ways to make green beans. Boiling or microwaving is effective, but I’ve found that both methods make a very subtle difference between cooked and overcooked beans.
Green beans can also be roasted, which is a great way to give them some texture and depth of flavor.
However, my favorite way to cook green beans is to steam them.
Steamed green beans have the same crispy texture as blanched or boiled ones. However, they retain their lovely green color and give home cooks more control over their texture than the other two methods.
Steaming is also easy – simplicity is what this recipe is all about.
Quick operation guide
The cooking process for this recipe is straightforward. First, fill the pot with a few inches of water and insert the steamer. Bring the water to a boil.
Next, add the trimmed green beans (this steamed green bean recipe calls for 12 ounces or 360 grams) and cover the pot.
Steam the beans for 5-6 minutes or until they are completely soft but not mushy. In part, this is a matter of personal taste. I like my green beans a little crunchy, but my mom, for example, likes them a little more tender.
Once the beans are cooked, remove them from the steamer and place them on a plate (or in a storage container if you are preparing a meal).
Make green beans with Dijon vinaigrette
To steam green beans with Dijon vinaigrette quickly, stir the seasoning and add it to the cooked beans.
The Dijon vinaigrette in this recipe is similar to my favorite champagne vinaigrette, except for different proportions and without the scallions.
You can add chopped scallions, garlic, or chives if you like.
Lightly stir the beans with the prepared vinaigrette.
After that, I like to add some toasted almonds to the steamed beans. Almonds are optional, but they add crunch.
Roasted vegan sugar pecans or roasted vegan sugar pecans are also great.
If you’re allergic to nuts or don’t like almonds, there are other ingredients you can put on your beans to add texture and flavor, such as:
- Crispy roasted chickpeas
- Quick marinate Onions in 10 minutes
- Bake savory pita bread
- Cut off the chives
- Chopped parsley leaves
- Chopped dill
- Lemon zest or chopped preserved lemon
Ingredients
12 ounces green beans, regular or French style, trimmed (360g)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon champagne, sherry, or white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
A few turns of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup sliced or slivered toasted almonds (30g)
Instructions
- Fill the pot with a few inches of water and insert the steamer. Bring water to a boil.
- Add 12 ounces of sliced green beans and steam for 5-6 minutes or until the beans are completely soft but not mushy. Remove the beans from the steamer and place them on a plate (or in a storage container if you cook them).
- Whisk together olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Mix this over the green beans so the dressing is evenly distributed. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the green beans. Serve or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For years, I’ve always prepared kidney beans the same way: with vegan butter, salt, or onion, salt, and pepper.
It’s good to do that. It is comfortable. I still use it a lot.
However, making steamed green beans with a lively Dijon vinaigrette sauce is fresher, more complex, and requires little to no extra effort.
This recipe will be one of those low-stress veggie garnishes that fill your table with color while keeping your energy up. That’s what it did to me!
