Fresh green beans, pecans, feta and cranberries with a Dijon Mustard Balsamic glaze. It’s like Fall in a side dish!
This recipe has become so popular since we first published it in 2013 that we had to update the photos so you all could see how gorgeous these green beans really are.
The most successful recipes will always have a perfect balance of flavors. Sweet, salty, sour and bitter are the 4 taste elements. When that balance is achieved the entire dish is elevated.
These green beans hit all these notes which is what makes them such an outstanding side dish.
You get the sweet from the maple syrup which balances the sour in the vinegar. The green beans in this dish would be considered the bitter which needs to be balanced out with either salty or sweet. In this case we have the salt from the feta cheese.
Each bite gets better and better as your taste buds react to this perfect balance of flavors.
HOW TO MAKE THESE AMAZING GREEN BEANS:
- We use fresh green beans for this recipe and steam them until they are tender.
- We sauté some shallots and garlic in butter – add the green beans back to the pan to finish cooking.
- Drizzle over the most delicious balance of Dijon mustard, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar and let it soak up into the beans.
- Plate the beans and then top them with roasted pecans, almonds, dried cranberries and feta cheese.
That’s all there is to it! These beans are elegant, flavorful, anything but boring and can be served alongside chicken on a weeknight, steak on the weekend or find themselves on your Thanksgiving table!
If you don’t believe me, check out our video on how to make these beans below!
Not Your Mama’s Greenbeans
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Pin RecipeDescription
The perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty and bitter in these green beans with a Dijon Mustard sauce, roasted pecans, cranberries and feta cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 – 1/2 lbs Fresh Green Beans, washed and trimmed
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Shallot, diced
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/3 Cup Chopped Pecans
- 1–2 Tablespoons Dried Cranberries
- 2 Tablespoons Slivered Almonds
- 1–2 Tablespoons Feta Cheese
FOR THE DIJON MAPLE SAUCE:
- 1–2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the maple syrup, mustard, vinegar and salt and pepper and set aside.
Steam or boil the green beans for 8-10 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce the beans. Drain when done. - Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the pecans. Spread the nuts evenly over the pan surface and let them sit for 30 seconds or so, then stir again. Keep stirring for about 3-4 minutes or until the nuts become fragrant – set aside.
- Add the butter to the skillet and sauté the shallots and garlic over low heat to soften.
- Add the beans and the Dijon mustard sauce and continue to sauté until beans are evenly coated and cooked to the desired doneness.
- Plate the beans on a nice serving platter and top with them with the toasted pecans, slivered almonds, feta cheese and dried cranberries.
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