Green Beans with Caramelized Onion Vinaigrette

The sweetness of the caramelized onions combined with the tanginess in the cider vinegar make these green beans something truly special.

These green beans pair beautifully with anything from chicken sausage, to baked sweet potatoes, to grilled or roasted anything (beef, chicken, fish). Their simplicity also makes them a great side for a special meal, like Thanksgiving or even Christmas, when you’ve got lots of other dishes in the works and can’t devote too much time to any one side.

Serves: 4 as a side

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
• 1 medium red onion, very finely minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1½ Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1½ Tbsp honey or pure maple syrup or Apple Juice
• salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Begin caramelizing the onions by heating the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and reduce heat to medium-low. Stirring regularly, continue cooking onions over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until onions are golden and caramelized. 

Add vinegar and honey or syrup to the pan. Turn heat off.

While the onions are caramelizing, prepare green beans your favorite way (steam, roast, pan sauté, or even microwave) until crisp-tender. I steamed my green beans. I placed 1-2 inches of water into a large saucepan and placed a steamer basket over top. I added the green beans to the steamer basket, covered the pan with a lid, and brought the water to a boil over medium heat. I cooked the beans about 5 minutes, till they were bright green and crisp-tender.

Toss cooked beans with the caramelized onion vinaigrette.

NOTE

If you want there to be more vinaigrette, you can double the vinegar and honey amounts, and add a bit more olive oil. I found this was plenty of vinaigrette for us, bur do what works for you!

Source: One Lovely Life