Sautéed Green Beans and Beets with bacon, pecans, goat cheese, and balsamic reduction is a wildly flavorful and nutrient-dense side dish perfect for sharing over the holidays!
I’ve been tapping the side disheslike Fred Astaire lately.
Except my version of “tapping” is more of a swift scooping…of foods…into my mouth.
If I could give you a synopsis of my eating habits lately, it would go a little something like this: carbs, carbs, fatty meat, carbs, maple syrup, wine, carbs, super fatty meat, bourbon, wine, chocolate, carbs, carbs, kale, carbs, wine, carbs, beets.
That just about summarizes it.
And I gotta tell you: my.thighs.are.loving.it.
And these sautéed Green Beans and Beets with Balsamic Reduction are the current object of my affection.
It’s so simple to put together, is big on flavor yet has a lovely freshness, which is great for offsetting an otherwise rich meal.
Ingredients for Sautéed Green Beans and Beets:
All you need to make this recipe happen is fresh green beans, beets (I use pre-cooked beets), pecans, bacon, goat cheese (or feta cheese) and balsamic vinegar. BOOM magic.
Tip for Preparing This Recipe:
Use pre-cooked beets! Have you ever seen pre-cooked beets at the grocery store? Not canned beets, but the ones in the produce section in the package?
Love Beets is one of the companies that makes them in case you’re looking for a trusted brand.
They make your beet experience super easy by packaging up quality organic beets that are already roasted for your munching convenience.
The reason I suggest this is beets on their own require a substantial amount of time to cook. You can steam, roast, sauté, or boil them, but regardless of the way you cook them, they will take more time than the green beans to cook.
For this reason, I suggest either pre-cooking the beets yourself according to your favorite method, or buying the pre-cooked ones. Here is a tutorial from The Kitchn on How to Roast Beets.
How to Make Green Beans and Beets with Balsamic Reduction:
This green bean side dish?
Easy. You can totally make them last minute, you procrastinator, you.
Simply chuck some bacon in a skillet, cook the green beans in bacon drippings, add your pre-roasted beets, and serve the veggies with the crispy bacon, goat cheese, and pecans.
While the beans are sautéing, you reduce balsamic vinegar for a hot minute in order to make a balsamic reduction, which gets drizzled over your veggie dish.
Trust me, it’s worth the three minutes to reduce balsamic vinegar! Real game changer, folks! Real game changer!
Have a fabulous Thanksgiving!
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Green Beans and Beets with Balsamic Reduction
4.50 from 10 votes
Green Beans and Beets with Balsamic Reduction is a flavorful healthy side dish perfect for holiday season
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Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 strips thick-cut bacon
- 16 ounces green beans trimmed and chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium-sized beets roasted and chopped (or 1 8.8-ounce package Love Beets cooked beets, chopped)*
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1/3 cup raw pecans chopped
- 1/3 cup goat chèvre
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy (about 3-4 minutes).
Place the strips of bacon on a cutting board, leaving the bacon drippings in the pan.
Add the green beans and minced garlic to the pan with the bacon drippings and sauté stirring frequently until green beans have softened but are still al dente (about 8 minutes).
Add the chopped beets and salt and continue to sauté until beets are hot (about 2 minutes).
While the vegetables are sautéing, pour the balsamic vinegar into a small skillet and bring to a full boil. Allow vinegar to boil until reduced by half (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside until ready to serve.
Once the vegetables have finished cooking, transfer them to a large serving platter or serving bowl.
Chop the strips of bacon and sprinkle on top of the green beans and beets.
Add the pecans and goat cheese. Drizzle the balsamic reduction over everything and serve.
Notes
*To roast raw beets, wrap them in foil, place on a cookie sheet, and roast in the oven at 375F for 60 to 90 minutes (until soft and juicy). Alternatively, chop the beets and wrap in foil. Place on cookie sheet and roast at 375 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1of 6 · Calories: 170kcal · Carbohydrates: 15g · Protein: 7g · Fat: 9g · Fiber: 4g · Sugar: 9g
Author: Julia
Course: Side Dishes & Snacks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bacon, beets, green beans, green beans and beets, healthy recipes, healthy side dish, holiday side dishes, pecans, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving sides
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