It’s time to take your side dish game to a whole new level with Brown Butter and Hazelnut Green Beans. Al dente green beans in chorus with the crunch of the toasted hazelnuts create an incredibly simple yet satisfying side dish.
You’ll love how the creamy flecks of goat cheese add a final touch of acid and tang to the dish too—you can bet folks will be fighting for any leftovers.
Holiday side dishes have a wide range of variability—there’s stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, egg noodles, rolls… You get the idea.
As nostalgic parts of our holiday experiences they have a special place on the table, however, it’s good to mix it up once in a while don’t you think?!
I for one still love mashed potatoes and my mom’s whole wheat rolls but I have never been a big fan of green bean casserole. (Put down your pitchforks!)
A brief roll in salted boiling water that leaves a little snap and super-fresh taste to the beans is where it’s at for me, not cooked until they’re a limp, gray-green mush.
In this green bean side dish, we dress them up with brown butter, hazelnuts, and chèvre. Brown butter takes it up a notch from standard cooking oil and arrives on the palate with a toasty, nutty flavor, boosted by the infusion of crushed roasted hazelnuts.
Are Green Beans, Snap Beans, and String Beans all the same?
Whatever they’re called—snap beans, green bean, or string beans—the green beans you’ll find in American grocery stores are all the same thing.
Varieties may differ in size and some producers may be more careful about picking the beans so they’re tender and not spongy or stringy.
When harvested at their peak, these emerald beauties are just begging to be brought to the table with some life still in them, so treat them with care and they won’t disappoint.
What about haricots verts?
Yep, haricots verts are still green beans, but a French variety that develops a mature green bean flavor earlier in the growth process so it’s not just a green bean that’s been picked young.
French green beans (haricot verts) work just as well for this recipe and cook a little faster because they are thinner, more tender green beans.
TIP: Because haricots verts are tender from tip to picked end, they do not need to be trimmed.
How to Select the Best Fresh Green Beans
Ideally, there will some to choose from in the bulk bin at the grocery store so you can pick through them for the best quality and just the right amount. Their skin should be smooth and tight without a lot of blemishes giving way to a nice “snap” when bent, breaking easily.
Otherwise, if the beans are packaged preventing you from snapping one to check freshness, be sure the beans look fresh but never moist or dewy.
TIP: Plastic packaging tends to trap moisture which will turn them slimy fast. So if you don’t plan to cook them right away, line their package with a paper towel to keep moisture at a minimum.
Trimming Fresh Green Beans
Depending on how tender they are when purchased, fresh green beans may need to be trimmed. Usually, tender beans need only the stem ends to be trimmed, though some people dislike the texture of the tapered end and trim that end too.
Simply snap off the ends with your fingers or use a sharp knife to trim any dry, tough ends before cooking.
TIP: to make the beans more manageable with a serving spoon, cut into smaller segments.
Recipe Variations
- Ricotta is a nice substitute for the goat cheese though a more mellow cheese option with a similar texture. Cotija and feta also sub in well.
- Make crispy shallots to garnish it up! Slice shallots very thin and fry them up in coconut oil until golden brown. Transfer to drain on a paper towel to crisp up and garnish along with the chèvre.
- If you don’t have hazelnuts lying around, pecans, walnuts, cashews or almonds all work just as well. It’s just that hazelnuts are particularly delightful in this dish and not as common.
- Make this dairy-free with a few changes. I recommend coconut oil as a tasty alternative, but it cannot be browned since it doesn’t contain the same milk solids that butter does. Coconut oil will, however, take on the hazelnut flavor just as well, and if you want to go full vegan, use the crispy shallots or cashew cheese instead of dairy cheese.
Step by Step
- Toast the hazelnuts.
- Cook the beans for 3-4 minutes in salted boiling water.
- Brown the butter with toasted hazelnuts.
- Toss green beans with butter and nuts.
- Top with goat cheese.
Brown Butter & Hazelnut Green Beans
Ingredients
- 3 cup green beans , stem ends trimmed
- 1/3 cup hazelnuts , toasted
- 3 tbsp butter
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2/3 cup chèvre , crumbled for garnish
Instructions
- You’ll begin by toasting and skinning the hazelnuts. Spread the hazelnuts out on a pan evenly and bake at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes on the middle rack. The skins should begin to blister and the nuts should have a slightly darker color to them. Keep a close eye on them because you don’t want to burn the nuts! (While the nuts roast, trim the green beans and start the water.)
- Once you pull the hazelnuts out of the oven, wrap them up in a kitchen towel for about a minute. This will slightly steam them and loosen the skins. Rub them all together inside the towel and discard the loose skins. Don’t worry if some skins stay on. Essentially you just want to get rid of the majority so they don’t get stuck in your teeth! Coarsely crush up the nuts and set aside.
- Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil with about 2 tablespoons salt, or enough water to cover the beans. Once the water boils, throw the beans in and boil for 3-4 minutes. Test one of the beans for tenderness and preferred doneness. I tend to boil for the shortest period of time because I like crunchy beans, and you don’t want to overcook them because you’ll lose that delicious snap. Strain out the water and set aside.
- Brown butter is simple but delicate. Using a medium sized skillet, put 3 tbsp of butter in the pan over medium heat. The butter will melt and start to bubble as it rises in temperature.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add the crushed hazelnuts and cook in butter until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. You’re looking for a sweet spot of golden brown butter. Remove from direct heat.
- Transfer the green beans to the pan with the butter and hazelnuts to get everything to serving temperature while stirring to coat the beans. Salt and pepper to taste, mix it up. Place into a serving bowl and garnish with a fair amount of chèvre. Enjoy thoroughly.
Notes
Recipe Variations
- Ricotta is a nice substitute for the goat cheese though a more mellow cheese option with a similar texture. Cotija and feta also sub in well.
- Make crispy shallots to garnish it up! Slice shallots very thin and fry them up in coconut oil until golden brown. Transfer to drain on a paper towel to crisp up and garnish along with the chèvre.
- If you don’t have hazelnuts lying around, pecans, walnuts, cashews or almonds all work just as well. It’s just that hazelnuts are particularly delightful in this dish and not as common.
- Make this dairy-free with a few changes. I recommend coconut oil as a tasty alternative, but it cannot be browned since it doesn’t contain the same milk solids that butter does. Coconut oil will, however, take on the hazelnut flavor just as well, and if you want to go full vegan, use the crispy shallots or cashew cheese instead of dairy cheese.
Nutrition
More Vegetable Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love
- Butternut Squash Noodles in Almond & Sage Brown Butter
- Tuscan Roasted Broccoli: Thanksgiving (or Anytime) Side Dish
- Portabella Mushrooms with Blue Cheese & Vegetable Stuffing
- Grilled Cabbage with Classic Caesar Dressing
- Roasted Asparagus with Oranges, Feta, & Walnuts
- Broccoli & Cauliflower Gratin with Brie & Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Article by Kayla Purcell
Kayla’s creativity spills over into everything she does, especially in the kitchen. She is passionate about bringing people together around tasty food that’s good for you. We love that too.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I like your addition of the goat cheese…I’m looking forward to trying the recipe.
Dot says
I was looking for a recipe to use some gifted hazelnuts, and I happened to have the rest of the ingredients on hand even under quarantine (though not enough to make a full batch). This was so delicious that I added green beans to my next grocery list and made them again a few days later. So delicious!
Judy Purcell says
Hi Dot! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop back by and let me know how the recipe worked for you and that you enjoyed it so much! I’m glad it was worthy of the hazelnuts given to you!
Jeff the Chef says
This sounds wonderful! I love hazelnuts.
Judy Purcell says
Thanks, John, brown butter is always a yes around here!
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Browned butter is always great with veggies. Add some hazelnuts to the mix? Bliss! Wonderful recipe — thanks.