Green beans gremolata. The best side dishes are the best part of any menu assembly.

We also dedicate so much of our time to preparing them. And they are as important as the main meal itself.

They have to balance taste, combination, and of course, a bit of color.

green beans gremolata

The fresh green beans, or haricots verts, are that compelling side dish that should never be missing from your table any day and even more so during the holiday table.

Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July. The list is never-ending.

A much more saw after suitors than their counterparts, Brussels sprouts or broccoli.

This dish of green beans gremolata is healthy, easy to prepare, and delicious. A dish that can be enjoyed all year round too.

The gremolata gives an updated lift by bringing in new flavors.

In this Article

The Best Part is

The best part is that you can prepare this green beans recipe the day before. Take all the stress out and leave you with spare time to enjoy yourself.

Just clean your beans, cook them, and immerse them immediately into a bath of ice-cold water with additional ice cubes.

This step will prevent your beans from overcooking while maintaining their nice and crispy green color.

And as you know, we eat with our eyes too, and I do not know about you, but I do not care for brown or green beans when overcooked.

However, you must dry them well and store them in a plastic Ziploc bag.

In the morning, pull them out of the refrigerator to return to room temperature and add the finishing touches at the last minute.

Of course, green beans are a low-calorie food that provides vitamins C and K, fiber, and folate.

green beans gremolata

What is Gremolata?

Gremolata is a combination of parsley, lemon zest, and garlic finely chopped.

I chop the parsley and garlic in a food processor to save time.

Adding to the combination, lemon zest, parmesan cheese, and toasted pine nuts make the gremolata ready to be enjoyed with the sauteed green beans in just a few minutes.

Finish it with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy this wonderful gremolata recipe.

This wonderful gremolata can also be used with osso buco, traditionally prepared for. Chicken and fish can be enjoyed with this great condiment as well.

Do not skip the roasted pine nuts. They give this dish a wonderful uplifting savory flavor. You will love it.

green bean gremolata ingredients

Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed to make this Green Beans Gremolata

A quick introduction to all the ingredients. Do read the complete recipe below for amounts.

Green beans: crisp and bright green with no bruising and hard to the touch.

Garlic: fresh and free of any bruising.

Lemon zest: do zest all the yellow minding not to zest the white pit, which is bitter.

Parsley: Italian flat leaf is one choice as it has the most flavor. Use the stems too.

Parmesan cheese: Grated would be best, do not skip this step, as it marries well with all the other ingredients

Pine nuts: are my favorite and bring the gremolata to a new level.

Lemon juice: although used at the last minute, it marries all the ingredients and gives a light savory touch to this vegetable side dish. 

green beans gremolata

Cooking tips and step-by-step instructions to create this excellent Green Beans Gremolata. 

You can find the printable recipe with all the correct amounts at the bottom of this post. 

In this roasted green bean gremolata dish, you can eat it either hot off the skillet or cold. I prefer it cold.

  • When cleaning the green beans, cut off the end and pull the string center filament towards you. Those can be hard to eat for the little ones.
  • Blanch the green beans for a couple of minutes and immediately submerge them into a large bowl of cold water. This will stop the cooking process. 
  • Once the green beans are cold, remove them from the ice bowl, drain, and dry them with a towel. At this juncture, you can either store them and use them later or continue preparing your recipe. 
  • Use a large skillet to saute them. You want to saute them for a couple of minutes.
  • The squeeze of lemon at the last minute gives it a nice final touch and enhances all the flavors.
  • Ensure you do not zest the white pit part of the lemon, as it is the bitter part when preparing the gremolata.

Equipment and ingredients used to make this recipe:

Green Beans Gremolata

5 from 15 votes
green beans gremolata
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
he best side dishes are the best part of any menu assembly. We also dedicate so much of our time to preparing them. And they are as important as the main meal itself.

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound French string beans
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated
  • 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, minced
  • 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and blanch them for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but still crisp. Drain the beans in a colander and immediately put them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their bright green color.
  • For the gremolata, toss the garlic, lemon zest, parsley, parmesan, and pine nuts in a small bowl and set aside.
  • When ready to serve, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Drain the beans and pat them dry. Add the beans to the pan and sauté, turning frequently, for 2 minutes, until coated with olive oil and heated through.
  • Remove from the heat, add the gremolata and toss well.
  • Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 62mg | Potassium: 46mg | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 9.3mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.

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Originally published on August 18, 2013. Updated on February 10, 2023.