Honey Dijon Green Beans with Bacon and Pecans- Crisp tender green beans are tossed in a flavorful honey Dijon vinaigrette and topped with crumbled bacon, pecans and toasted Panko crumbs for added crunch.While the honey Dijon flavor is a perfect complement to Holiday favorites like Turkey, Ham and Prime Rib, this dish is so easy you can make it year round.
These honey Dijon green beans with bacon and pecans are fancy enough to find a place on your Holiday table but so simple you don’t need to save them just for Holidays.
The green beans are cooked just long enough to keep them fork tender and drizzled with a light honey Dijon vinaigrette. You can serve them just like that if you like, the flavors are a great compliment to so many main dishes.
Or, you can get all fancy and add the toppings! Crumbled bacon, pecans (I like to use candied pecans for Holiday meals) and toasted Panko crumbs for some extra crunch. If you haven’t tried toasted Panko before it just adds that extra bit of “pop” to a dish. It’s as simple as heating up a frying pan ( no oil or anything) and adding the Panko crumbs, and letting them cook until they are golden brown and toasty.
I’m a bit hooked on the toasted Panko crumbs…they make a great topping for salads and soups ( and honey Dijon green beans).
This recipe can easily be adapted to be Vegetarian/Vegan. Just skip the bacon (or substitute toasted coconut or coconut bacon!) and swap in maple syrup for the honey to keep things Vegan. Delish!
You can prepare these honey Dijon green beans up to a day ahead of when you plan to serve them. Just store the components of the dish separately in the refrigerator ( beans, dressing, bacon) the pecans and toasted Panko don’t need to be refrigerated but I recommend storing them individually in containers/ziplock bags to keep them crunchy. Bring the beans to room temperature or heat and assemble right before serving.
Looking for more Healthy Holiday Side Dishes?
- 2 lbs. green beans, trimmed
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar ( or red wine vinegar)
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup chopped pecans, toasted or candied ( or sliced almonds)
- 2 Tbsp panko crumbs (optional)
- Fill a large bowl with ice water, set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook until beans are fork tender and bright green (about 5 mins.). Drain beans and plunge beans in ice water. When cool, drain, pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
- Cut bacon strips into small pieces. Line a large skillet with about 2 Tbsp of water (or a splash of olive oil) over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook until they being to turn transparent. Add bacon pieces and continue to cook until bacon is crispy. Remove o a paper towel-line plate.
- Optional step. Wipe skillet clean return to medium-high heat and add panko crumbs. Cook stirring frequently until Panko is toasted and golden brown.
- In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, white-wine vinegar, honey, Dijon, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over green beans; toss to coat. Plate green beans or place in a serving bowl. Just before serving top with bacon, pecans and toasted Panko.
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