The Bold Ingredient Twist You Need For Better Green Beans

Green beans can be an afterthought on a dinner menu. They never seem to reach their full flavor potential. It's easy to fall into the rut of just blanching them in boiling water for a few minutes and then chilling them in an ice bath or using them in your spruced-up green bean casserole. But if you are looking for low-lift ways to upgrade your green beans, look no further. You can transform this veggie into a gourmet side dish with two simple ingredients: Goat cheese crumbles and chopped herbs.

Green beans have a subtle earthy sweetness and pair well with various herbs. Flat-leaf parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, mint, and dill all complement and enhance the taste of this green vegetable and pair well with tangy goat cheese. But if you want to use a combination, Herbes de Provence is the perfect mix. Herbes de Provence is equal parts thyme, savory, marjoram, and oregano. It may also have a smidge of lavender, and when combined with goat cheese, it adds sweet, peppery, savory, and fragrant notes that play off this cheese's tart taste and creamy texture. Herbes de Provence will not overwhelm your green beans either, but instead, bring out the sugary sensations of this veggie.

But because green beans are a bit of a blank canvas, you may also want to play with the texture of this dish in addition to the goat cheese and herbs. To add some crunch, add some chopped walnuts to this side dish. Walnuts are a meaty nut with a bitter bite. They taste delicious with soft cheeses, and especially with herbs like rosemary and thyme, which add a little bit of a woodsy, citrus taste to your green beans and goat cheese crumbles. 

Crushed hazelnuts are also a good choice for added texture, along with some quartered fresh or dried figs. Figs will add a nice sweet element to your green beans while serving as a tasty contrast to the creamy goat cheese. For onion lovers seeking a refreshing bite, use a combination of chives, parsley, and mint. These are perfect additions for making a green bean salad with goat cheese dressing.

Of course, if you hate wasting food, you can use that leftover salty and crispy bacon from last night's lobster BLTs. Just crumble the bacon along with the goat cheese and toss it with your green beans and some fresh or dried basil. The smoky, savory taste of the bacon, along with the basil's sweet, pungent flavor, and the smooth, sharp taste of the goat cheese, will definitely give your green beans the wow factor they've been missing.