Roasting green beans with shallots is a fresh alternative to heavy soup-based casseroles.
American Thanksgiving is next week and a favourite at many tables is Green Bean Casserole. Made with canned soup and topped with fried onions, unfortunately it’s loaded with calories and sodium. Lighten up with a delicious dish of roasted green beans and shallots, finished with sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. These beans are also vegan-friendly and gluten-free so everyone at the table can enjoy a taste. Even if you’re not celebrating Thanksgiving, they make an excellent side dish for roast beef and chicken.
Strictly speaking, green beans are at their peak in the summer, however, they are greenhouse-grown and readily available throughout the year at most grocery stores. Do not use frozen beans as they have a different texture. Tip: When slicing the shallots, be sure the rings are quite thick (about 1/4″) or they will burn before the beans are done.
Roasted Green Beans with Shallots
Makes about 4 side dish servings – can easily be doubled
- 12 oz. (340 g) fresh green beans, ends trimmed – equals about 3 cups of beans
- 2 small shallots, cut into rings about ¼” thick
- 4 teaspoons neutral oil, such as canola or safflower
- Parchment paper to line baking sheet or pan
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- Sea salt, to taste
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the baking rack in the middle position in the oven.
- In a large bowl, toss green beans with shallots and oil until they are lightly coated. Cut a piece of parchment paper to the same size as the bottom of a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Line the sheet and pour the bean/shallot mixture onto it, making sure they’re in a single layer.
- Roast the beans for 10 minutes. Check on them at this point – if the shallots and beans are becoming very brown, remove them from the oven. Otherwise, roast for another 5 minutes until the beans are beginning to char around the edges.
- To serve, season with sea salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Copyright Trish Coleman. Please contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Bon Appétit and Enjoy!
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The Seasonal Gourmet 
Dear Trish,
I just featured one of your recipes on my blog, and thought you’d like to know.
I write a blog for Saffron Marigold – a maker of fair trade, high quality Indian linens. Recently, I did a series featuring handmade products, DIY projects and recipes that could be put together for Thanksgiving tables.
I came across your site, and loved the great variety of recipes, the simplicity of the site, and the focus on freshness. I featured a recipe for Peach Chutney from a couple years back, primarily because I am trying to introduce ideas for “global” twists to the traditional Thanksgiving table.
– By the way, your recipe is included under “Maharaja”
http://www.saffronmarigold.com/blog/
Sincerely,
Heidi Muller