I love simple and tasty vegetable side dishes. I swear I couldn’t stop eating these green beans with lemon tahini dressing! The green beans are tender with a slight crunch, and the tahini dressing is tangy and smooth.
This Thanksgiving, I’m leaving behind the casseroles and all that, and making these delicious green beans with lemon tahini dressing instead. It’s very simple, easy to make, and elegant. The best part is that it takes less than 15 minutes to make!
I used green beans, but you can use haricot verts too. Haricot verts are thinner and shorter than green beans, which means they takes less time to cook. Hey, I’m all for speedy sides!
The lemon tahini dressing is similar to the one I used in my roasted cauliflower and kale salad, a reader favorite!
Ingredients for Green Beans with Tahini Dressing
For this green beans with tahini recipe, you’ll need:
- Green beans or haricot verts: Make sure you trim the ends. If using haricot verts, you don’t have to trim the ends.
- Tahini paste: Stir the tahini together so that the fat and the paste are not separated.
- Water: To thin out the dressing.
- Fresh lemon juice: For tanginess and flavor.
- Minced garlic: For flavor.
- Honey: To add sweetness and to balance out the flavors.
- Salt and pepper to taste
As you can see, you only need a handful of ingredients for this delicious green bean side dish.
A quick note on the tahini paste – you can find tahini in the specialty food section at the grocery store. Tahini comes in different forms. I buy tahini PASTE, which is thicker. I’ve also used plain tahini, which is less thick. Depending on which one you use, you’ll need to adjust the amount of water to get the desired consistency.
Also, when you open the jar of tahini, you may see that the solids and the fat are separated. That’s normal. Simply stir the tahini until smooth.
How to Make Green Beans with Tahini Dressing
Here’s how to make it in 3 simple steps:
- Make the lemon tahini dressing: In a mason jar, add all the dressing ingredients and shake until well-combined. Add water as needed to thin out the dressing until you get the consistency you like.
- Cook the green beans: Bring water and some salt to a boil. Cook the beans, uncovered for 3-5 minutes until they are crisp tender. Cook 2-3 minutes longer if you want them to be more tender. Drain and pat dry.
- Arrange and serve: Serve with the lemon tahini dressing.
I like to serve these green beans on a long platter, and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices.
There you have it. Simple and easy green beans with lemon tahini dressing! It’s an elegant side dish that will impress your guests.
If you’re looking for other awesome green bean ideas, check out my friend Minshien’s caramelized onion green beans. I made these the other day and they are truly amazing!
For more delicious Thanksgiving and Holiday side dishes:
- Maple Glazed Rainbow Carrots
- Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Parmesan
Thank you for reading. I hope you like these green beans as much as I do!
Tips for Cooking Green Beans
- If using green beans, trim the ends as they tend to be a bit tough. To trim the ends quickly, line up a bunch of green beans on the chopping board and trim them at once with a sharp knife.
- Avoid green beans that have too many dark spots.
- 3-5 minutes of cook time will result in semi-tender green beans with a slight crunch. For more tender green beans, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Cook uncovered to keep them bright green.
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Green Beans with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed - (or haricot verts)
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- 1/2 cup tahini paste - (stir to combine the paste from the fat, if needed)
- 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey, plus more as needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make lemon tahini sauce: in a mason jar, combine the lemon tahini sauce ingredients and shake well. If too thick, add more water to thin it out. If too thin, simply add more tahini paste until desired consistency. The amount of water needed will depend on whether you use tahini paste, which is thicker, or plain tahini. This dressing is versatile: add more honey, lemon juice, or tahini to taste!
- In a medium pot, bring some salted water to a boil, enough to cover the green beans. Cook green beans for about 3-5 minutes, uncovered, until bright green and tender. For more tender green beans, cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Pat them try.
- Arrange on a large plate, and drizzle with lemon tahini dressing. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices, if desired.
Notes
- Tahini: You can find tahini in the specialty food section at the grocery store.
- Cooking green beans: Trim the ends. Cook uncovered to maintain the bright green color. To prevent them from losing their bright green color, rinse them with cold water as this will stop the cooking process.
- Make ahead instructions: You can make the lemon tahini dressing up to 2 days in advance. Store in the fridge in an airtight container or mason jar. For the green beans, you can trim the ends in advance and store them in the fridge in a container or bag.
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