Lemon Butter Haricot Vert Recipe (2024)

A haricot vert recipe which is defined by its simplicity, fresh flavors and quick preparation. We are going to makeFrench green beans in under ten minutes with one pan. You'll love how the lemon, butter and shallots meld together to create a sauce which elevates these haricot vert to a whole new level.

THIS HARICOT VERTRECIPE IS: GLUTEN FREE, PALEO FRIENDLY, LOW CARB AND ADDICTING.

My entire life I have hated green beans. No matter how they were made, they never tasted good to me. But, I live and die by the mantra that you taste everything you can, all the time. One day someone made me a plate of haricot vert with lemon, salt and butter. I couldn't believe how good they were. Since then, I have made this version with shallots on a regular basis. It is just so good. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HARICOT VERT AND GREEN BEANS

I've been in commercial kitchens where they try to pass off green beans as haricot vert. Let me tell you, they are not the same. Here's the scoop: haricot vert are designed to be thinner, longer and more tender than its counterpart the traditional green bean. Additionally, they are harvested earlier than green beans so they have more subtle flavor.

The regular old green beans also have a thicker cell wall and retain more water than haricot vert when cooked. I find that this water retention leads to a very"green" flavor to which is overpowering for my palette. I've even tried to slice green beans or quarter them to try to simulate the flavor and texture of haricot vert, but have never been successful in tricking my taste buds.

ONE PAN PREPARATION

Just like mySpicy Italian Broccoli Recipe, this haricot vert recipe is going to use one pan for the preparation. The key is to use a good saute pan (I use a non-stick pan) with tight fitting lid. We want the beans to braise slightly for about seven minutes to soften them up. Then we will remove the lid and saute everything to a delicious conclusion.

I've made this recipe so many times that sometimes I forget to add the lemon in until I remove the lid rather than at the beginning. Both ways are delicious. Adding the lemon in at the beginning tones down the lemon flavor a bit and adds more depth. Adding the lemon in toward the end gives the haricot vert recipe a brightness which is really captivating.

QUICK COOKING TIP:Preparing haricot vert for this recipe is a simple task. Arrange the haricot vert with the stems all on one side and slice them off. Sure, you're going to have some shorter and others longer, but it saves time and the beans don't mind! Discard the stems and you're ready to roll.

Let's get to the good stuff for this haricot vert recipe.

Final thoughts on this terrifically simple haricot vert recipe:

There are a couple variations you can make to this recipe. First, you can omit the shallots and just enjoy the haricot vert in a delicious lemon butter. Or, you can substitute the shallots for finely chopped onions. In this case, go ahead and cook the onions first so they soften before adding in the remaining ingredients. For even more flavor, you can add in some tarragon, parsley or even a light smattering of herbs de provence.

These delicious French green beans go perfectly withoven roasted chicken. The lemony flavor profile works wonders with my baked lemon artichoke dish (recipe coming tomorrow 2/9/16). We made the beans with mycountry style coq au vinthis past weekend for guests and the brightness really complimented the slow cooked chicken.

Whatever you make to go with this haricot vert recipe, I hope that you like them! Happy eating.