Recipe

Balsamic Vinaigrette and Zingy Green Bean Saute

Recipe Information

Total Time: 

20 minutes

Servings: 

4

Balsamic vinegar is the most popular vinegar these days, thanks to its sweet, deep flavor. In this sweet and sour dressing, it mingles with tasty walnut oil for a nutty delight, but you can use olive or canola oil, in its place. This recipe shows how great vinaigrette is on hot veggies, it hits the hot pan and sizzles a bit, thickening and soaking into the veggies quickly. This is a perfect all-purpose dressing for mixed greens, Italian pasta, grain or bean salads.

Ingredients

Green Beans

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 pound green beans, trimmed
  • 1 pint cherry tomato, halved
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

Vinaigrette

  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons walnut oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallot
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Cracked black pepper

Preparation

  1. In a jar or cruet, combine the vinegar, oil, salt, shallot and brown sugar, and shake vigorously to combine.
  2. In a large skillet, heat the teaspoon of olive oil over high heat. When hot, add the beans and tomatoes and stir constantly until the beans are tender, slightly shriveled and browned, and tomatoes are soft. Add 4 tablespoons of dressing to the pan and toss over the heat for just a couple of minutes to thicken and coat, then serve the beans immediately, sprinkled with parsley.
  3. Refrigerate the remaining 1/4 cup dressing for later use on cooked grains, pasta, veggies or other salads of your choice.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 168, Fat: 12 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 89 mg, Carbohydrate: 16 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Protein: 3 g