Garlicky Marinated Green Beans wake up your senses. There’s something about garlic and balsamic together that enhances almost any vegetable, but especially crisp-tender green beans. This dish can only be made with fresh green beans, because the beans should still feel alive. Not so alive that they’re still squeaky, but not fully cooked either. The steaming process allows them to soften enough to absorb the garlic, basil and balsamic flavors.
The tomatoes should be garden-fresh as well. Cutting the tomatoes into chunks and sprinkling them with salt in advance of tossing them with the beans and the basil really brightens their tomato essence.
Picnic season is coming to a close. The days are getting shorter and the evenings are cooler, and the beans are slowing down in the garden. Garlicky Marinated Green Beans are made for picnics. They can be (and should be!) prepared in advance, and they don’t mind hanging out on the picnic table until the dish is empty. If there’s bread on the table don’t be surprised if someone tears off a hunk to sop up some of this marinade. It’s that good.
Garlicky Marinated Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 T balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 9 fresh basil leaves (divided, 3 for marinate, 6 for tossing)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large tomato
Instructions
THE DAY BEFORE
- Prepare the vegetables – Wash, destem and string the beans, if necessary. Cut them into approximately 2 inch pieces. Peel and smash the garlic. Finely chop 3 of the basil leaves.
- Steam the beans – Steam the beans for 3 – 5 minutes. Drain immediately.
- Make the marinade – While the beans are steaming, whisk together the oil, vinegar, smashed garlic, and basil.
- Marinate the beans – Place the drained beans in a large ziplock bag while still warm, and pour the marinade over them to coat. Close the bag, removing most of the air. and massage the beans in the marinade. Place the bag in a bowl (in case the bag leaks), and refrigerate overnight.
BEFORE SERVING
- Bring the beans to room temperature – pull the beans out of the refrigerator about an hour before you plan to serve them, to allow them to come to room temperature. If you're feeling nice, you could massage them a time or two, to ensure that they're thoroughly bathed in the marinade.
- Prep the tomato and more basil – chop the tomato into large chunks and salt them generously. Give the tomatoes a chance to rest for about ten minutes. Chiffonade more basil.
- Toss and serve – pour the marinated beans into your serving bowl, top with the tomato and basil, and toss to combine.
If the Garlicky Marinated Green Beans stick around after the picnic, they’re happy to make another showing. Maybe add some feta and a sprinkle of oregano and serve them the following day for lunch.