We love blistered vegetables! They just taste so much better when they’re almost burnt, ya know? Those char marks and blistered skins mean one thing: flavor. And we don’t want to live without it. This is hands down our favorite way to cook haricots verts, which — by the way — we prefer 10 outta 10 times when placed up against traditional string beans. One bite of these blistered haricots verts and we think you’ll agree: they are the best ever!
Here’s why we love them so much:
- No parboiling beforehand! That’s right! There’s a time and a place for parboiling your veggies, but it’s just not necessary here. That shaves off about 10 minutes right there.
- Cooks in 10 minutes or less. From start to finish, the French beans take less than 10 minutes once they hit the hot pan. Three cheers for getting dinner sides on the table quickly!
- Flavor! The only thing we’re adding to these beans is an abundance of minced garlic and maybe some fresh lemon juice (I’m all here for it, but my husband sometimes skips the lemon). Trust us, they don’t need anything else!
These are so, so addictive. Blistered haricots verts are tender, but not mushy, and stand up to practically any entrée. Bet they’ll become a new favorite in your house in no time!
Be sure to try our Green Bean Salad next, it is another favorite in our house!
Ingredient Notes
But first, what are haricots verts? Little French beans!
- Haricots verts, root end trimmed: pro tip — buy these pre-washed from the store and save yourself even more time!
- Extra virgin olive oil or a light neutral oil: no butter in this recipe means blistered haricot verts are gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
- Kosher salt: to season everything!
- Freshly ground black pepper: to add spice!
- Lots and lots of minced garlic! Like, more than you think is necessary. So good!
- Fresh lemon juice: This is optional, but I love the acidity it adds and the fresh, bright flavor.
If you want to add other flavorings in, you can toss them at the end, once the haricots verts are just about finished. For instance, adding soy sauce, minced ginger, fish sauce, and lime juice would make for a delicious Asian-inspired green bean side dish! We actually do that all the time with shishito peppers. *Chef’s kiss*
How To Blister Any Vegetable!
This veggie recipe could not be any simpler. Here’s the quick how-to:
- Preheat the pan. We’re talkin’ hot. You want a really hot pan to blister the veggies. Heat a little oil before adding them to the pan, k?
- Cook the haricots verts. It will take about 7-8 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, before you begin to really see the green beans begin to blister. Don’t forget to season with Kosher salt and black pep! When they’re almost there…
- Add garlic. Wait until the haricots verts are just about finished, then add lots and lots (and lots) of chopped garlic right at the end. Cook for one minute more, then finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. That’s it!
- Serve immediately. Dig in. You could serve these with practically any entrée and be perfectly happy.
Truly one of our favorite vegetable side dishes!
How To Serve
What doesn’t go well with this haricots verts recipe?! You can serve anything from grilled chicken, seafood, steak, or pork to pasta dishes, risotto, or even something like meatloaf and mashed potatoes — total comfort food!
Here are some of our favorite simple, weeknight entrées to serve alongside:
- Pecan Crusted Chicken
- Cast Iron Sesame Ribeye
- Weeknight Slow Baked Salmon with Herb Shallot Butter
- Baked Cod With Panko
And if you absolutely love blistered vegetables — totally get it! — you absolute must try our 10 minute blistered shihsito peppers! We tend to serve these with Asian-inspired menus since they feature garlic, ginger, and soy. We could eat the whole bowl in one sitting!
FAQs
Yes! Traditional green beans tend to be thicker than French green beans, so plan to adjust the cook time accordingly.
So many! Snow peas, snap peas, and edamame are all great!
You can definitely make these a bit in advance, and while they reheat okay, they are for sure better fresh. Your call, though! We meal prep a big batch at the start of the week, and no one complains when they reheat them for lunch…
A perfect vegetable side dish, if ever there was one!
If you make this Blistered Haricots Verts recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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More Vegetable Side Dishes To Try!
Crispy Roasted Brussel Sprouts Tandoori Oven Roasted Carrots Roasted Broccolini Sicilian Cauliflower Roasted Root Vegetables Oven Roasted Broccoli
Blistered Haricots Verts Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or light, neutral oil
- 1 lb haricots verts trimmed French string beans
- 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium lemon cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the pan. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes until very hot, then add 2 Tbsp olive oil.
- Cook the haricot verts. Add the trimmed haricots verts, season with 1 tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper, then cook, stirring occasionally, until blistered on all sides, about 7-8 minutes.
- Season, then serve. When the beans are mostly blistered on all sides, add the chopped garlic, then cook for 1 minute more. Squeeze 1 lemon wedge on top, then stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (or continue cooking if you want them even more blistered). Serve immediately with additional lemon wedges on the side.
Another winner!!!! I made this for a test run to see if it would be good to add to my thanksgiving menu. Nope, this is now going on my every day/week/any holiday menu! Absolutely delicious, full of flavor, love the taste of the lemon with the bite of saltiness and kick of garlic. To die for. Make it now! I’m literally eating the whole plate as I type this with one hand. Thank you Ari!!!
This is perhaps my favorite review of a vegetable EVER. Seriously the best string beans on the planet! xo, Ari