Green beans with bacon and shallots are a lovely side dish for both a holiday dinner but also a small family supper. Fresh green beans and mushrooms and cooked until just tender and then tossed with delicious bacon. Who could resist?
The important thing to remember here is that you’re cooking the beans when you parboil them, and simply reheating them with the bacon and mushrooms. In other words, don’t overcook the beans.–Martha Rose Shulman
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Green Beans with Bacon and Shallots FAQs
How long does it take to cook green beans?
It will depend on how old your beans are, honestly. The older your beans are, the longer they’ll take and the tougher they’ll be. If you’ve picked them fresh off the vine, you’ll need less time–less than 6 minutes. If they’ve been sitting in the fridge for a while, they may take more than 7 minutes.
How can I tell how fresh my green beans are?
Bend one and it should snap easily and crisply, not just bend like a piece of licorice. They should also be bright green with no dark spots.
Green Beans with Bacon and Shallots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green beans trimmed
- 2 strips bacon cut crosswise in thin strips
- 2 shallots quartered
- 1/2 pound mushrooms trimmed and quartered
Directions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice and water. Cook the beans until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Dump into the ice water, leave for a few minutes, then drain.
- Heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Sauté until crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on racks.
- Add the shallots to the bacon fat and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring often or shaking the pan, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the green beans and cook, stirring, until heated through. Adjust seasonings, sprinkle with the bacon, and serve immediately.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I made this to go with a standing rib roast and it was a perfect accompaniment. I made one small change and swapped in prosciutto for the bacon as it was what I had on hand. I chopped the prosciutto and browned it with a bit of olive oil and then added a finely diced shallot and the mushrooms. I seasoned this well with salt and pepper. I cooked this for 5 or so minutes longer than suggested so that all was nicely browned.
Simply running the cooked beans under cold water was also enough to stop the cooking and keep them tender. I loved how easily and quickly this came together and that it was all done in one pot.
You simply can’t go wrong with fresh green beans and bacon. I picked our first green beans of the season today. This recipe really made the beans shine, without overwhelming them. My husband and I both enjoyed them with the crispy bacon, shallots, and mushrooms.
The beans were exceedingly young and tender. We both feel this recipe would make a great company dish–it just has that little extra something.
Originally published September 8, 2006
Love this recipe.
Oh we’re on the same page, Patricia! Thank you for writing!