Green Beans with Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese in a Balsamic-Dijon Sauce
Try this side dish of Green Beans with Cranberries, Goat Cheese, and Toasted Almonds, drizzled with Balsamic Glaze. You will never go back to mushy green bean casseroles again!
Steam or parboil (or microwave) the green beans to your liking: bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the green beans, and cook the green beans until crisp-tender, or however you prefer to eat them. (It takes about 5 minutes to cook the beans to crisp-tender. Add more time if you prefer softer green beans.)Carefully drain the water and rinse the beans under cold water in a colander.
Toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet (this can be the same skillet you will use to sauté the onions) over medium heat until they just start to brown. Set aside.
In a large pan or a wok, sauté the red onion in olive oil for 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened. Add salt and stir.
Add the balsamic glaze, Dijon mustard, and dried cranberries. Stir to combine.
Add the green beans to the same pan and gently stir to coat them in the balsamic sauce. Remove from heat.
Serve with toasted almonds and crumbled goat cheese.
Notes
Make sure to use balsamic glaze, not balsamic vinegar. It is DELICIOUS and not as acidic as vinegar. If you don't have balsamic glaze, you can use a splash of balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon or two of honey (add both to taste!), or make your own glaze by simmering ½ cup balsamic vinegar + 2-3 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan for a few minutes, until reduced to a syrupy liquid.
If using canned green beans, use 2 cans and skip step 1. Simply drain and add the green beans to the sautéed onion + balsamic sauce mixture.
Try swapping red onion for diced shallot, almonds for pecans, and goat cheese for crumbled feta or queso fresco.