This String Beans and Shallots recipe is a quick and easy salad that keeps well at room temperature. It’s a favorite of ours all year round. Perfect for summer, it’s also great as a side dish in cooler weather.
You can easily bring this dish to picnics, or make it for a barbecue or potluck. When I heard that our theme for this month’s Progressive Eats was Summer Barbecue, I knew that String Beans and Shallots (also known as Green Beans and Shallots) had to be my contribution.
The recipe comes from my good friend Mark Evans. He and his wife Carole love good food and are generous about sharing their culinary knowledge and skills. They are the source for my favorite guacamole recipe and Mark gave me my first lesson is sous vide cooking. (I still haven’t tried it on my own, but that’s on my bucket list for this coming year.)
When I asked Carole if there is a back story to this recipe, she responded that Mark had whipped it up when we asked them to bring a vegetable dish as their contribution to one of our dinners. That was probably a decade ago and we’ve been enjoying them ever since.
Normally when I think of barbecue, I’m all about the meat. However, of late, I’ve realized that vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes are a must. Besides, there is nothing better than a delicious summer salad or grilled vegetables. If you make this dish for a barbecue, you’ll find even the confirmed meat-eaters hanging around to grab a few extra beans as they pile food on their plate. they might even come back for seconds – if there are any.
This String Beans and Shallots recipe is truly a breeze to make. It has only six ingredients, including salt and pepper. That means, each ingredient should shine. Fresh string beans (green beans) barely cooked, shallots (no subbing regular yellow onions, please), good kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper and Aleppo pepper (if you have it) make this simple dish memorable.
I like to serve the dish at room temperature, but it’s also good cold. Even better the next day, make more than enough so you have leftovers. The shallots and garlic give it a nice kick. Aleppo pepper adds a slight hint of spiciness without overwhelming the dish. The olive oil makes the salad glisten, yet it isn’t oily. A great addition to the BBQ side table, people inevitably come back for more once they taste it.
String Beans and Shallots is versatile too. After I made the batch for this post, I refrigerated them and added them to a simple romaine lettuce and chopped tomato salad. What a fabulous combination!
Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. Each recipe in our menu this month features Citrus. Our host this month is Barb from Creative Culinary.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, the host chooses the theme for the month and members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party. Then you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.
A Summer Barbecue!
Cocktails & Other Beverages
- Sparkling Blackberry Peach Sangria – The Redhead Baker
Appetizers
- Ensalada Caprese Bites – The Wicked Noodle
- String Beans and Shallots – Mother Would Know (you’re here!)
Bread
- Grilled Crostini Four Ways – Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Main Courses
- BBQ Green Chile Bacon Burger – The Heritage Cook
- Grilled Skewers of Halloumi, Peppers, Tomatoes and Onions over Zoodles – The Wimpy Vegetarian
Side Dishes
- Quinoa Tabbouleh with Grilled Vegetables – From a Chef’s Kitchen
Desserts
- Reeses Rice Krispie Treats – That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Key Lime Pie with Whipped Cream and Lime Zest – Creative Culinary
String Beans and Shallots
This six ingredient salad will surely become one of your go-to summer recipes. It takes only a few minutes to prepare and goes with any meat or vegetable main dishes at a barbecue or pot luck.
Ingredients
- 1 pound string beans, ends clipped off if necessary
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 shallots (medium-sized), thinly sliced About 1 cup sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 pinch Aleppo pepper (optional)
Instructions
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Steam the string beans until barely cooked. (It will probably take less than 5 minutes - watch carefully and test one after a few minutes so they don't overcook.) Immediately after they are done, plunge them in ice cold water, add ice cubes on top. Once they are cooled, drain and dry them.
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Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven large enough to hold the beans. Sauté the shallots over medium-high heat for about 5 -7 minutes, until they are just starting to brown. Add the sliced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so.
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Remove the Dutch oven from the heat, add the (drained and dried) cooked beans. Toss them well and add salt and pepper to taste. Also add the optional Aleppo pepper if using it. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled
Jane, The Heritage Cook says
This is one of my all time favorite side dishes that goes with any main course. My mouth is officially watering now!!
Laura says
Jane, We’re so alike in our food tastes. I do love this one, both for it’s taste and how easily it comes together. Perfect barbecue food.
Liz says
Such a scrumptious summer side! I can’t wait to try it—and I know I have some Alpeppo buried somewhere amongst my spices!
Laura says
Thanks Liz. It’s a great one to try while your kitchen is under renovation. You only need one burner and it’s not very messy:).
thewimpyvegetarian says
This is a wonderful summer dish! I think I’ll make these this weekend. I even have Aleppo on hand. I actually tried to grow string beans one year, we love them so much, but it was a disappointing harvest. So now I just pick up a few handfuls whenever I’m at the store or Farmer’s market.
Laura says
Many thanks Susan. I’m not surprised that you have Aleppo pepper – you probably even have loads of ideas for recipes that use it. (I’m new to the spice, but enjoying it immensely already.) And while I love the idea of growing vegetables, in our tiny, shady urban backyard it’s not happening. So, like you, I pick up handfuls of string beans whenever I see them looking bright and crisp at the grocery or a farmers’ market.
Kristy Bernardo says
My parents have a huge summer garden that I like to raid and now I have inspiration for the green beans! This dish looks heavenly!
Laura says
Kristy, Delighted if I’ve given you inspiration. You’re lucky to have the bounty from your parents’ garden, maybe even without the need to weed and tend the plans as they grow:)
Karen says
I could eat those like fries! They sound delicious and I love the story of your friends!
Carol Borchardt says
These look great! Our beans are starting to come in like gangbusters so I’m always looking for new recipes for them. Going to try this!
Laura says
So glad you like this recipe Carol. (It’s so easy and delicious.) I’m about to make another batch in just a few minutes.