Green Beans With Shallots and Lemon Butter

Easy But Elegant

• Servings: 4.

This easy vegetable dish seems far fancier than in fact it is, making it a low effort but special addition to a meal cooked for company. Plus the beans can be cooked in advance and quickly warmed up just before serving. You can use either regular green beans or else the very thin and more tender French bean, also known as haricots verts.

While melted butter is a luxurious addition to the beans, you can easily substitute olive oil. And finally, if you prefer to cook your vegetables in the microwave, doing so will make no difference except that you may need to add salt to the finished beans.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds green beans or haricots verts
• 2 medium or 1 large shallot
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions

1. Clean and trim the beans by snipping off the ends. Rinse completely to make sure there's no debris or dirt on the beans.
2. Bring a 3 to 4 quart pot of water to a boil and add about 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook the beans for about 5 minutes until tender. Drain.
3. Mince the shallots into a very tiny dice, about 1/8 - 1/4-inch.
4. Melt the butter either in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove, taking care to make sure it doesn't burn or darken. In a small bowl combine the melted butter with the minced shallots and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
5. Transfer the drained green beans to a serving bowl and drizzle with the melted butter/shallots/lemon juice mixture. Toss to combine.
6. Serve immediately.