Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnuts and Lemon Zest
Celebrate the harvest with brightly colored crisp-tender green beans, which reach their peak in late summer and early autumn. You can blanch and dress the beans in advance, then top with the hazelnuts and basil just before serving—handy when you’re hosting a dinner party.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. (500 g) green beans, trimmed
- 1 tsp. honey
- 3 Tbs. white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) hazelnut oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz./75 g) hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely
chopped - 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
Directions
Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until just crisp-tender but still bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the beans and transfer to the ice water to cool. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, vinegar and hazelnut oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the vinaigrette to the green beans and toss to mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Top the green beans with the hazelnuts, basil and lemon zest and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen