A simple side dish made stellar, creamy goat cheese, sweet shallots and crunchy walnuts add a wonderful contrast to green beans that have been blanched and sautéed in a bit of butter. Green Beans with Goat Cheese, Shallots and Walnuts make a beautiful accompaniment to a variety of main dishes and can be served hot or at room temperature.

Green Beans with Goat Cheese, Shallots and Walnuts |The Suburban Soapbox #sidedish

How was everyone’s Labor Day weekend? Did you all enjoy the last few “unofficial” days of summer? I had planned to spend the weekend at the beach with my family but decided to hang back for a variety of reasons. Instead….I worked most of the weekend updating a few recipe photos from back in the day when I didn’t know what the heck I was doing and posted what looked to be the equivalent of dog food right here on the Soapbox. The reshoot ended up being dinner and, like always, I needed something “green” to eat. It’s a rule for me…unless I’m eating a burger, then…for some reason…that rule doesn’t apply.

Green Beans with Goat Cheese, Shallots and Walnuts |The Suburban Soapbox #sidedish

Since I was reworking my turkey meatloaf recipe and I wanted to shoot it with some mashed potatoes…I made THESE mashed potatoes and ended up reshooting them too. And since I always have peas or green beans with my meatloaf (the something green), I decided to whip up a favorite green bean recipe….and shoot that too. It was a full day or work but, as you can see, I was rewarded with an epic cool weather dinner. Even though it was 95 degrees with a zillion percent humidity. It was pretty amazing and I don’t know a lot of people that take the extra 30 seconds to really hit a home run with their side dishes. Most of the time, I just use a bag of frozen peas to add my green element to my meal.

Green Beans with Goat Cheese, Shallots and Walnuts |The Suburban Soapbox #sidedish

But this time….I went all “holiday dish” with my green beans. And I’ve done this before, in fact, I have about a dozen ways to amp up your green beans that I’ll start sharing here. They’re all so easy and these Green Beans with Goat Cheese, Shallots and Walnuts are my absolute favorite. The creamy, tangy goat cheese melts just a tiny bit to coat the beans in a salty, amazing sauce and the shallots add a slight sweetness that pairs just wonderfully. The buttery walnuts add the perfect contrast in texture with their crunchiness. What I love the most about this side dish is it’s just as fabulous served at room temperature as it is when it’s served hot. So, it’s perfect for those potluck dinners that start popping up around the holidays. For what it’s worth…I hate potluck dinners so I just serve these with something like my meatloaf or a simple roasted chicken dinner. It’s great for entertaining and I don’t ask my guests to bring a thing….just their hungry selves.

Get the Recipe: Green Beans with Goat Cheese, Shallots and Walnuts

This super easy Green Beans with Goat Cheese is a fabulous side dish for any occasion.
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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds green beans, trimmed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 large shallots, sliced thin
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 2 ounces goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Blanch (cook) the green beans for 1-2 minutes until bright green and then, using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to a bowl of ice water. (This will stop the cooking process and keep your beans from losing their bright green color.) Drain in a colander and set aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the shallots. Cook the shallots until softened and translucent. Add the butter and cook until melted. Stir in the green beans and cook for 4-5 minutes. Transfer the green beans to a bowl. Toss the beans with the salt, pepper, goat cheese and walnuts. Serve immediately.
Serving: 0g, Calories: 147kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 158mg, Potassium: 368mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1200IU, Vitamin C: 19.1mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 2mg