Haricot Verts with Mushrooms and Bacon

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: African American, European, French, North American, Soul Food

Keyword: green beans, haricot verts, mushrooms

Prep Time: 12

Cook Time: 23

Total Time: 35

Servings: servings

Calories: 102kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

This dish starts with delicate haricot verts, then gets smoky, meaty vibes from bacon and portobellos. It’s a side that serves for weeknight dinners or posh soirees.

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Equipment

10 to 12-quart stock pot (the wider the better)
spider or colander
large bowl for the ice bath
large cast iron skillet

Ingredients

For Blanching and Shocking the Haricot Verts

1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 pound haricot verts or thin green beans, rinsed, ends trimmed, and beans cut in half
6 slices bacon diced (1/2 of a 12-ounce pack of bacon)
1/2 small white onion peeled and minced (about 1/4 cup or 7- grams)
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon or 8 grams)
8 ounces portobello mushrooms washed and dried, the ends of the stems trimmed
1/4 cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc or chardonnay) or chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

Start Boiling the Water and Prep Your Ice Bath

Fill a 10- or 12-quart stockpot with 6 quarts of water.
Put the pot on the stove and cover it with a lid, the heat it over high heat to bring the water to a boil.
Fill a large mixing bowl halfway with ice, then add enough cold water to the bowl to loosen the ice.

Prep the Mushrooms

After trimming the very ends off the mushroom stems, slice them 1/8-inch thick.

Blanch the Haricot Verts

Once the water in the pot is boiling aggressively, carefully sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of kosher salt.
Next, add the haricot verts to the pot and stir them to fully submerge them in the boiling water.
Cook the haricot verts for 3 minutes or until vibrant in color but still crisp when you bite into them.

Shock the Green Beans

If you have a spider, lift the haricot verts from the boiling water and put them directly into the ice bath.
If you are using a colander, set it inside your sink and bring the ice bath to the counter next to it. Carefully pour the haricot verts into the colander and, using pot holders, lift the colander out of the sink and push it into the ice bath.
Shock the haricot verts for 1-2 minutes or until they are completely cold.
Once cold, lift them from the ice bath and put them on a paper or kitchen-towel lined plate or sheetpan. Press a dry towel or paper towels onto their surface and leave them to blot up excess water while you start the mushrooms.

Brown the Bacon

Add the diced bacon to a large cast-iron skillet.
Heat the skillet over medium heat to slowly render the bacon fat. After 6-7 minutes, the bacon will be crispy and brown.
Use a slotted spoon to remove it to a paper towel-lined bowl or plate.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the skillet.

Sauté the Onion and Garlic

Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the bacon fat in the skillet, and sauté, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes.
They'll take on a golden brown color. If you see them browning too quickly, just add the mushrooms to cool the pan down.

Brown the Mushrooms and Deglaze the Pan

Add the mushrooms to the pan with the onion and garlic, stirring them to fully incorporate everything, then use the back of your spoon to flatten them into an even layer.
Allow the mushrooms to sweat out their moisture for 4 1/2 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keeping them in an even layer allows them to take on a deep golden color as they cook.
Add the dry white wine to the pan to deglaze it (this means you're picking up any browned bits).
Use your spoon to scrape up any flavorful bits from the sides or bottom of the pan.
Allow the wine to nearly evaporate in the pan, leaving behind glazed mushrooms.

Finish the Haricot Verts with Mushrooms and Bacon

Next, add the blanched haricot verts and season them with the remaining salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Stir everything in the pan together, then allow the green beans to cook for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through and just beginning to take on some color.
Give a bean a taste to see if you need to add more salt.
Finally, toss in the crispy bacon bits you cooked earlier.
Grilled, steamed, or fried proteins bring out the smoky flavors and crisp texture of these haricot verts with mushrooms and bacon, but you can serve this recipe as a side dish to countless proteins.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

You can replace the haricot verts with regular fresh or frozen green beans if you're on a budget. See the body of the post for shopping tips.
For a vegetarian option: omit the bacon and sauté the onions and mushrooms in butter, ghee, or olive oil. Use mushroom salt to replace the umami from the bacon.
Swap the pork bacon for diced pancetta, thick-cut turkey or beef bacon, or salt pork. *See the post for how to adapt the recipe for the latter three*
Swap out the white onion for a yellow onion, a shallot for a milder flavor, or a red onion for a stronger onion flavor.
Replace the portobello mushrooms with baby bellas (cremini mushrooms), white button mushrooms, or shiitakes.
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Gris are dry white wines that I recommend using in this recipe.
You can also replace the white wine with chicken, vegetable stock, lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar.
Instead of crushed red pepper flakes, use Aleppo pepper flakes, harissa, smoked paprika, or you can omit them.

Tips and Techniques:

Don't skip the blanching and shocking. Without blanching, the green beans would require a longer cooking time, resulting in the loss of their beautiful color and texture.
Many produce sections sell pre-washed and trimmed, bagged haricot verts.
Select beans that are vivid green, with no brown spots or streaks. You want beans that are crisp when you snap them.
I recommend using a large, wide pot to ensure the water boils properly and consistently when you add the haricot verts.
You can use a stainless steel skillet if you don't have a cast iron skillet, but the latter adds a better char and flavor to the dish.
Remember to use a wine you'd sip from a glass and avoid sweet wines like Moscato or Riesling for this recipe.

Make-Ahead Instructions:

Blanch, shock, and dry the haricot verts up to 24 hours in advance. Store the green beans wrapped in a few layers of paper towels in a sealed container or food storage bag in the fridge.
Cook the bacon and mushrooms earlier the same day, and refrigerate separately.
Ten minutes before you're ready to serve, reheat the bacon and mushrooms in a hot skillet, add the beans, and finish the recipe as instructed.

Storage Instructions:

Store leftover haricot verts in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat leftover green beans in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or chicken stock. You can also reheat them for 1-2 minutes in the microwave, but they'll come out much softer. Air-frying them at 400°F (200°C) for 3-4 minutes retains crispness.
I don't recommend freezing haricot verts with mushrooms and bacon as a finished dish. Instead, prep the haricot verts as instructed and freeze them separately.You don't have to thaw them before you add them to the mushrooms, just toss them into the hot skillet and add 2-3 minutes to the heating time (or until they're heated through).

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