Green Beans with Almond and Mint Crumble & Roast Vegetables

In my opinion fresh green beans are best just eaten raw, but that doesn’t really qualify as ‘a recipe’ for a cookbook! In this dish the beans are lightly steamed, then served cold, with sweet balsamic vinegar and a crunchy nut crumble. A perfect side dish for the warmer months of the year.

serves 6
V GF

what you need
1/4 cup (40g) whole raw almonds, roasted
500g green beans
handful of mint leaves
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
drizzle of caramelised balsamic vinegar

what you do
1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC (140⁰C fan forced).  Place the almonds onto a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes. Cool.
2. Cook the beans in a steamer for 3-5 minutes, until just tender and bright green. Meanwhile prepare a large bowl of iced water.
3. Remove from the steamer and plunge into the iced water to stop the cooking process (this ensures the beans will be crunchy and vibrantly coloured). Drain immediately and pat dry with paper towel.
4. Place the almonds into a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Add the mint and process until finely chopped and evenly combined.
5. Place the beans onto a serving plate, and drizzle with oil and caramelised balsamic. Finish by sprinkling with the almond and mint crumble mixture.

© Jane Grover - NAKED FOOD - the way food was meant to be