Balsamic Green Beans with Bacon

These balsamic green beans with bacon are an easy 4-ingredient side dish made of perfectly seasoned crisp green beans, crispy bacon and tangy balsamic vinegar.

They're fabulous enough to serve as a holiday side dish, yet easy enough to make on a weeknight.

Tips for perfectly cooked green beans

• Set up. Wash and trim the green beans, get a pot of salted water boiling, set up a bowl of ice water next to your cooking station and have the rest of your ingredients and equipment ready to go.
• Blanch. Blanching is the process of boiling the green beans for 2-3 minutes.
  • This lightly cooks the vegetable to be finished later.
• Shock. Shocking is the process of transfering the blanched green beans to a bowl of ice water, which halts the cooking process and allows the vegetable to hold their bright green color.
  • Many restaurants blanch and shock their vegetables for this reason, plus it basically par-cooks the greens beans so they can be quickly finished during dinner service.
  • Once veggies are blanched and shocked, they can be used stir-frying, sauteing or added to a cold salad!
• Saute in fat. To add some flavor and texture to the beans, go ahead and saute them quickly in a little bit of oil or butter to finish them.
  • I like to get a little bit of charred color on them, but make sure to take them out of the pan quickly so they don't overcook.
  • I like my beans a little al dente!
• Season properly. Finish the green beans with a smattering of salt and black pepper.
  • That's all you really need to make perfect green beans!
• Add toppings. Whether the "topping" is a glug of balsamic vinegar or a handful of toasted nuts (or both), toppings add a burst of flavor to any vegetable.

How to spice up your perfectly cooked green beans

• Add something salty. This could be cured meats like bacon, pancetta, guancale, ham, and the list goes on.
  • It could also mean soy sauce, miso, fish sauce or brine from pickled vegetables.
  • And remember, a little bit goes a long way!
• Add toasted nuts. Toasting nuts gives them texture and a greater depth of flavor.
  • It only takes a minute, and is SO worth it!
  • To toast nuts, heat a dry skillet to medium or medium-high heat.
  • Toast them for 30-60 seconds, tossing them in the pan until they're lightly browned and fragrant.
  • Be sure not to step away, as nuts burn easily!
• Add vinegar. Balsamic, apple cider, white wine, champagne... there are so many vinegars to choose from and a dash adds a TON of flavor and a bit of tang. In this recipe I used balsamic because it pairs so nicely with bacon, but anything goes!
• Add herbs and spices. Dried, fresh or both!
  • You can add a touch of heat with cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes, chop up some fresh herbs and toss them in before serving for a little freshness or stir in a pinch of dried herbs and spices to give the a dish a unique flavor.
  • The possibilities are endless.
  • Or, you can keep it simple with oil or butter, salt and pepper! There is no wrong answer, folks.

More recipes for green vegetables!

• Kung Pao Peanut Chicken Stir Fry
• Vegetable Minestrone
• Spinach & Goat Cheese Walnut Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
• Asian-Style Beef Noodle Bowls
• Hummus & Vegetable-Stuffed Collard Greens
• And a whole blog post on how to eat more leafy greens....

Print