Green beans with whipped feta
***Please note that the recipe makes 2 servings.
Equipment
- Small food processor
- Steamer basket optional
Ingredients
For the whipped feta spread:
- 135 g (4.7 oz) feta cheese block or vegan feta style block
- 2 tablespoons yogurt (dairy or vegan, both work)
- Zest of ½ lemon plus extra for garnish if desired
- ¼ teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the green beans:
- 260 g (9 oz) green French beans/haricots verts, stem ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 small shallot walnut-sized, very finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley (chop first then measure), plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts or walnuts
Instructions
- Rig up a steaming setup: medium saucepan on the stove with a steaming basket inside. While the water comes to a boil, prepare the whipped feta.
- To a small food processor add the feta (crumble it in), yogurt, lemon zest and oregano. Start blending, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue running the food processor until the mixture is creamy and there are no feta chunks left.
- For the green beans, when the steamer water has come to a boil, add the green beans and steam, covered, for 7 minutes. At the 7 minute mark check for doneness. The beans should be cooked through but still retain their colour. Continue steaming until tender. French beans are slimmer and more tender, for regular green beans and frozen green beans, you will have to steam longer.
- When the beans are cooked through, drain them and set aside while you make the dressing. To a bowl large enough to hold the beans, add the olive oil, salt, lemon juice, and parsley. Add the green beans and toss well to coat.
- To serve: spread the whipped feta onto a platter or individual plates, then top with the dressed green beans. Sprinkle with the toasted chopped hazelnuts, then extra parsley. Using a microplane, grate over some lemon zest, if desired.
- Yield: 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side dish