Easy Haricots Verts Recipe (French Green Beans)
If you are new to haricots verts, prepare to become obsessed! These French green beans are delicious, nutritious, and an incredibly versatile veggie side dish that you’ll find yourself making time and time again. You can leave them simply seasoned (my favorite way), or try some of the seasoning ideas below.
This is my all-time favorite side.
This is one of those effortless sides that looks fancy, tastes great, and fits into any dinner rotation, no matter what’s on the menu!
Whether you’re serving a weeknight meal or a holiday dinner, these French green beans are a fresh and flavorful addition to your plate.
😋 Seriously delicious: This side always seems to taste great!
🛒 Made with simple ingredients: Just beans, butter, and salt.
🍽️ Pairs with everything: This is one of the most versatile sides out there. No matter what you’re serving – chicken, fish, steak, or pasta – these sauteed beans work.
⏱️ Quick & easy: Just a few minutes on the stove and these are ready.
✨ Elegant and elevated: A touch more special than basic green beans.
🌱 Naturally gluten-free & vegan: A simple veggie side that everyone can enjoy.
🥄 Flexible flavor: There are so many ways to season these! Try with lemon, almonds, a sprinkle of parmesan or try one of the seasoning ideas below.
You’ll also want to try kale salad, bok choy stir-fry, hot honey glazed brussels sprouts, and cheesy potato casserole.
My favorite side dish! –Emma
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this easy side to dinner: haricot verts, butter, garlic, and sea salt.
- Haricots verts: Look for fresh haricots verts that don’t have any browning or rotting on the ends. If you can find them locally, they will taste much better but are also more difficult to find. Many of the haricots verts are grown internationally, which means they are picked early and have to travel a ways to get to the US.
Seasoning Ideas
This recipe for haricot verts is very BASIC, but it’s also a blank canvas for adding your own seasoning flair. Here are some great additions to get you started:
- Minced garlic
- Dried dill
- Lemon pepper seasoning
- Seasoning salt
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic salt
- Soy sauce + sesame oil
- Lemon juice + flaky sea salt
- Minced garlic cloves + flaky sea salt
- Fresh herbs
- High-quality finishing vinegar
- Simple vinaigrette
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Finding them: Look for haricots verts at more upscale grocery stores or stores like Trader Joe’s or Costco. They are always prepackaged.
- Cooking methods: While I love this simple sautéing method, you can also boil the fresh beans. Simply cook the beans in boiling water, removing with a slotted spoon, and plunged into a large bowl of ice water (an ice bath) to stop the cooking. Another option is to lightly steam them with a steamer basket set above a few inches of water.
- Finish with something fresh: A squeeze of lemon juice or zest, chopped herbs, Parmesan cheese, or even toasted nuts adds brightness and crunch.
Easy Haricots Verts Recipe (French Green Beans)
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Learn how to cook haricot verts (French green beans) with this quick and easy recipe. A simple, flavorful side dish that’s perfect for weeknights or holidays!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. haricot verts
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1/8 tsp. sea salt (more to taste)
Instructions
- Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. When it sizzles, add in the haricot verts. Cook for 3 minutes, mostly undisturbed. Let them get a bit of color.
- Season with salt, any additional seasonings, and add 1/3 cup water to the skillet and cover.
- Turn down heat to medium low and cook for 3-4 minutes for tender crisp, 5-6 minutes if you want them softer.
- Remove cover and cook until all liquid has evaporated. Finish with more salt to taste.
Notes
- See seasoning suggestions above.
- Storage: Store the leftover sautéed haricots verts in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Ingredient notes: Look for the freshest French green beans you can find! Most are grown internationally, so I’ve found that they are sometimes hit or miss, depending on how old they are.
- Serve with: Healthy orange chicken, crockpot shredded beef, baked panko salmon.
Serving Suggestions
This versatile French green beans recipe is the perfect veggie side dish for so many main meals. Here are a few favorites:
FAQs
Haricot is bean and vert is green in the French language, but they are slightly different green bean variety than the typical American bean. Merriam-Webster defines haricot vert as a thin green bean and they have slender pods.
No! One of the benefits of French green beans is that they don’t need to be trimmed.
Haricots verts ARE different from traditional green beans and I’ll tell you how they compare. Haricot vert are:
– thinner and longer in shape
– Stem ends don’t have to be trimmed (this makes them quick and easy!)
– Cook in less time
– have a little milder flavor (which may help veggie-averse)
If French doesn’t come naturally to you (like me!), this is how to pronounce haricots verts: är-ē-kō-ˈver
More Vegetable Side Dishes
If you like this recipe for French beans, you might also like some of these other easy recipes:
- Bok Choy Stir Fry
- Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
- Napa Cabbage Slaw
- Kale Salad
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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My favorite side dish!
Quick and easy
Thanks Linda!
These really are better than green beans!
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