A delicious and nutritious two ingredient summer side dish recipe. Pesto green beans are so quick and easy to make, they can be on the table within ten minutes. Serve alongside your favourite main course, or enjoy as a light and healthy lunch or supper on their own.
Trim the stem ends of the beans, but don't worry about taking the tails off. It's quite trendy nowadays to keep them on. Rinse the beans and cut in half, if liked. I prefer to keep French beans whole, but cut runner beans.
250 g green beans
Pour water into a large lidded pot to about a 3-4 cm (1 ½ inch) depth. Add the salt, then bring the water to the boil.
½ tsp sea salt
Once boiling add the beans. Place the lid on the pot, turn down to a simmer and cook for 4-8 minutes. How long you cook them will depend on the type and size of the bean. For French beans, they should be cooked through, but still retaining a bit of crunch. Runner beans are nicer if they're a bit softer. Taste for texture and once satisfied drain the beans, but hang on to the cooking water.
Put two tablespoons of the cooking water back in the pot, which should still retain its heat. If not place over a low heat. Stir in the pesto until it's thoroughly combined and you have a thick sauce. Add a little more water if needed.
2 tbsp green pesto
Return the drained beans to the pan and carefully toss in the warm sauce, so as not to break them. Squeeze in a little lemon juice, if liked. Dish the beans up and eat whilst still warm or at room temperature.
1 squeeze lemon
Notes
Serves four people as a side dish and two people as a light lunch or supper.The bean cooking water is sweet and nutritious. Don't throw it away. Save it for soups, stews and sauces. Alternatively, just drink it.You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.