Crunchy and flavoursome sautéed green beans with crispy bacon, mushrooms, garlic, sage, and cranberries make for a perfect side dish especially on a festive table on Thanksgiving, Christmas or Sunday Roast. This green bean recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, low-carb and paleo-friendly.
Ingredients
- 450 -500 g green beans tails cut off (1 lb.)
Part 1
- 1 tablespoon butter or ghee, olive oil is also fine
- 120 g bacon rashers rashers, diced into cubes (4 oz.)
- 200 g crimini or Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced (7 oz.)
- 4-5 sage leaves chopped (about 5 g, you could use dried herbs)
- 1/3 cup almonds chopped
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
Part 2
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 orange
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cut the tail ends off the green beans, wash and set aside.
- Preheat a large, deep frying pan to medium-high heat and melt the butter (or another cooking fat of choice). Add the bacon and cook for 1 minute until it starts to brown slightly. Add the mushrooms, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add a splash of olive oil as the cooking fat starts to absorb into the mushrooms. Cook for 2 more minutes or until the mushrooms start to brown up a little.
- Add chopped almonds, cranberries, garlic and sage and cook, stirring a few times, for 3-4 minutes until everything starts to brown slightly. Finish by adding a tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar, stir through and transfer to a bowl.
- Return the empty frying pan to the stove over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and green beans; spread them around evenly. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover, stir and pop the lid back on for another 1-2 minutes. This method allows you to steam the green beans as well as browning them slightly on the bottom.
- Uncover again and now season with salt and pepper and add the orange juice. Stir and cover with a lid again for 2 more minutes. The green beans will continue to sauté and steam with the orange juice reducing slightly.
- Finish the dish by removing the lid and stirring in the pre-cooked bacon and mushroom mixture. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper (taste to see if you need more). Serve with fried shallots and toasted almonds on top, or as is.
Notes
Herbs: I opted for fresh sage leaves but you could use fresh rosemary or thyme; dried herbs could also be used here.
Bacon: you can use regular bacon, pancetta or replace it with a non-pork version; broken up sausage would also work well.
For a vegetarian version, swap bacon for extra mushrooms and I would also add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 345mg | Potassium: 262mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 68IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @cookedandloved or tag #cookedandloved