HERICOTS VERTS WITH CANNELLINI BEANS AND A SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

I was most looking forward to adding this new dish to our Thanksgiving menu this year. It was such a hit and will definitely be making it to the table at more holiday gatherings.

I really liked that I could make this ahead and it is served cold, so one less thing on the stove or the oven when it's time to serve the food.

Everyone loved it! A great/healthy alternative to the traditional green bean casserole.


This is a beautiful salad with lots of color. You're guests will be so impressed!!


Hericots Verts is a fancy name for green beans. They are a french style bean so they have a fancy french name. I just LOVED these beans and I ate way too much for dinner, but it kept me from eating so much of the heavy stuff, which is a good thing. They are clean and fresh and delicious!

I still couldn't convince my husband to eat them, he has a severe aversion to anything even remotely bean related, so he missed out on these, but the rest of my family LOVED them!

Cook the beans in boiling water for a couple of minutes until slightly soft. Allow to cool. 

Cook the beans with halved onions, fresh thyme and a bay leaf

After beans are cooked and cooled, add to Hericot Verts. 

Make the vinaigrette. 

I made these the day before. I had both beans in the platter, the vinaigrette in a container and the parsley all ready for the garnish when assembled. When it came meal time, I was able to put this together in a snap!!

 This dish is so pretty and very photogenic!!

When you are ready to serve, add the dressing and garnish with the parsley. Serve cold and enjoy!

Delicious!!

Haricots Verts and Cannellini with Shallot Vinaigrette

Ingredients

2 cups dried Cannellini beans

1 small onion, halved

1 bay leaf

1 large thyme sprig

Kosher salt

2 pounds haricots verts, trimmed

2 large shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T finely chopped red bell pepper

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

In a large pot, cover the dried beans with 3 inches of water. Add the onion, bay leaf and thyme and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add more water as needed to maintain the water level. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and remove the pot from the heat. Let the beans cool in the cooking water.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the haricots verts until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the beans and spread them on a large rimmed baking sheet to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the shallots, red bell pepper, garlic, mustard and both vinegars. Add a pinch of salt and let the vinaigrette stand for 10 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Drain the dried beans and discard the onion, bay leaf and thyme. Transfer the beans to a large bowl and add the haricots verts. Add the vinaigrette and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine