Recipe for green beans with lemon-dill yogurt sauce {vegetarian, gluten-free}
Spring hasn't quite sprung, yet I woke up a few days ago craving something green and something lemon, to wake up my winter palate. A quick look in the pantry gave me all the inspiration I needed. I had some green beans in the refrigerator, though asparagus would be equally good with this Greek-inspired yogurt sauce. Whichever you use, be sure not to overcook. After one or two minutes in boiling water, "shock" the beans (or asparagus) in a bowl of ice water to set the color and stop the cooking. One ingredient I turn to often is Greektown "Billygoat" Seasoning from The Spice House in Chicago; if you don't have Greek seasoning, make your own by mixing oregano, dried lemon peel, granulated garlic, coarse salt and black pepper.
Green beans with lemon-dill yogurt sauce
From the pantry, you'll need: Greek yogurt, lemon, fresh black pepper, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, honey.
Serves 4; can be doubled.
Ingredients
1 lb green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use 0% fat)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill weed
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp Greek seasoning
1/4 tsp honey (or agave nectar)
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of fresh black pepper
Directions
Bring 3 inches of water to boil in a saucepan. Drop the beans in. When the water returns to the boil, cook the beans for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and drop into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and set the color.
Combine remaining ingredients, plus 1 teaspoon of cold water, in a bowl, and stir well.
Drain the beans, and blot them dry on a clean dish towel. Place on a serving plate, and top with the yogurt sauce. Serve cold.
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Spicy green beans with ginger and garlic
Grilled lamb souvlaki style
Roasted asparagus with manchego cheese
Greek turkey burgers with yogurt and feta sauce
Greek yogurt vanilla parfait with pistachios and dried cherries
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Braised green beans (fasolakia) with lemon, from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
Lemon pepper salmon with French green beans and pan-fried shallots, from Poor Girl Eats Well
Baked Greek yogurt lemon pasta with sweet corn, from Chocolate & Ginger
Lemon yogurt muffins, from Macheesmo
Honey glazed lemon roast chicken, from Simply Recipes
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That is the perfect sauce to welcome spring.
Yum - that is so fresh and delicious looking! And I still have lemons to use that my relatives in California shipped out!
I think that yogurt mix could make a nice light fresh alternative for dipping grilled shrimp into....I have "grilling season spring fever"!
This sounds wonderful! I'd love some fresh crisp beans right now.
My mom cooks green beans seasoned with spluttered mustard seeds and cayenne pepper. I've emptied huge portions of it with cold yogurt. Your recipe seems just as "empty-able". Love the idea of lemon peel and yogurt :)
Pam, I am so ready for green food!
Carol, shrimp would be delicious with this yogurt dip.
Kalyn, green beans have to be crispy, don't they? I love to cook them just for a minute to take the "raw" off.
Janani, I love the idea of mustard seeds and cayenne!
Those beans look so good I can reach into the photo and eat them! I'm all over that yogurt dressing. Can't wait to put it on all sort of things.
France, such a lovely compliment. Thank you.
I love green beans...and it's so creative to add a yogurt sauce! I think this would be really yummy with the dill you added...
Thanks for sharing!
This looks so fresh and tasty! We're featuring all things GREEN this week at the M&T Spotlight and I'd love for you to submit this.