Green Beans al Pesto Recipe Is a Dairy-free Hot Side Dish or Cold Salad by Donna John

Pesto is on my mind right now because of my thriving herb garden. Instead of making traditional pesto, I decided to use some of my basil to make these pesto green beans. This easy, healthy vegetable recipe was on the table in about 15 minutes. The fresh pesto adds so much flavor to the green beans and can be served hot as a side dish or cold as a salad (see Recipe Notes).

To make green beans al pesto, you will need fresh green beans, green onions, Italian flat-leaf parsley, fresh basil, lemon juice, walnuts and olive oil. The beans are quickly cooked to crisp-tender. While they gently simmer, whirl together the remaining ingredients in a blender until combined, but still has some texture. Pour the pesto over the beans, toss and serve.

The green onions add so much flavor to the pesto. You may not use all of it in this recipe, so save the rest for another use, like mixing it into pasta or quinoa. Garnish with some additional chopped green onions and walnuts and serve with your favorite protein.

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Cuisine: American / Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 - 1 1/2 pounds green beans, washed and trimmed
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh is best)
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Helpful Products

• Blender
• Lemon Juicer
• Soup Pot
• Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Salt and Pepper
• Rubber Spatula

Recipe Notes

• To make this into a cold salad, plunge the cooked green beans into an ice bath then drain. Pour the pesto over the beans, cover and refrigerate before serving.

• To make this into a pasta dinner, stir the prepared green beans into rigatoni, penne, fusilli or your favorite pasta.

• If serving as a salad, add some cooked shredded chicken or shrimp. Or stir in some cherry tomatoes and grated Parmesan cheese.

• You may not use all the pesto for the green beans. Add enough to suit your tastes. 

Here's how to make it: 

1. Put the green beans into a large pot of boiling, salted water. Cook for about 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and return to the pot.
   
2. Put the green onions, parsley, basil, lemon juice and walnuts into a blender. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
   
3. Pulse until combined but still a little chunky.
   
4. Pour desired amount of pesto over the green beans.
   
5. Stir to combine.
   
   

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories: 236

Total Fat: 23.1g

Saturated Fat: 2.8g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 8mg

Total Carbohydrate: 7.2g

Dietary Fiber: 3.6g

Total Sugars: 1.5g

Protein: 4.2g

Vitamin D: 0mcg

Calcium: 44mg

Iron: 1mg

Potassium: 251mg

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by VeryWellFit. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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