Anyone else picture the Green Giant whenever they think of green beans? What marketing genius thought of that guy? I mean really – a big green dude with leaves for hair, a one-shoulder leaf ‘dress’, and elf shoes. Sometimes it weirds me out to eat green beans because I feel like I’m consuming the offspring of Mr. Green Giant. And one magical day, when Green Giant met a pretty little orange, they created these mandarin orange green beans.
Green beans are a spring and summer staple in our home, because they are easy to make and CHEAP. But when my traditional olive oil and garlic grilling method gets a little boring, or roasting ’em with a little salt and lemon juice just feels stale, I make a citrus and tangy stovetop version that is easy and perfectly different!
Oranges and green beans?! Yes. They go to together like peas and carrots. Esssssssspecially when you add just a splash balsamic vinegar to all that fresh juice and zest. It’s like a citrus POW that tastes oh so delightful and plays off that earthy green bean flavor too. So basically what I’m trying to say in my own poetic version is this mandarin orange green bean dish tastes fresh and light.
Oh did I mention it take around 10 minutes to whip these babies up? AND they are paleo, vegan, and Whole30 compliant?! So next time you see those raw green beans in the grocery store, don’t be afraid. WWGGD (what would Green Giant do). He’d grab some mandarine oranges and a few of his own ‘lil green beans and go to town. Would that be considered vegetabalism? I don’t want to know…
If you can’t find mandarin oranges, don’t sweat it. Any orange blend will do the trick. Tomato/Tomaaato, right? They key is that sweet citrus. And don’t forget to garnish with more zest, it’s just so dang pretty.
Time Saver Tip
Wash and cut the green beans beforehand and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Juice the orange(s), zest until you have at least one teaspoon (more for garnish), then store separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, all the components will be ready to add to the pan in a flash!
Mandarin Orange Green Beans
- Yield: 2-4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons mandarin orange juice
- 1 teaspoon mandarin orange zest + more to garnish
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamon
- 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Wash and pat try the green beans. Trim the ends off and cut into halves or thirds
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat
- Place the cut green beans into the pan, coat evenly with the olive oil, and let heat around 5 minutes
- Add the orange juice, zest, cardamon, and balsamic vinegar
- Turn the heat down to medium and sauté another 5 minutes until beans are slightly soft
- Serve immediately and garnish with more orange zest to taste
These look awesome! I’m always looking for new or different side dishes that are still easy to prep. I love that I can use some of that cardamom in my pantry — I’ve got a FULL jar of it just sitting around. 🙂
And your prep-ahead tips are spot on. Clearly you have a toddler and realize that you can never find a large enough chunk of time to make an entire meal at the last minute! Story of my life…
ME TOO. And it goes such a long way, so I use it sparingly. Oh man Blair, time for moms is precious. You totally get it!
I’d totally dig some fresh bright citrusy green beans! I actually only very rarely have green beans :O That’s sad! I always forget about them, but they are so good! I loved eating raw green beans as a kid though (my brother too)! We would be obsessed! Haha!
There’s a HUGE tub of them at my grocery store so it’s hard to pass them up when I’m out shopping! They ARE so good!
This recipe looks sooo good! We eat green beans at least once a week so I’m definitely up for trying a new spin on them:) Will be trying this soon!
You are a green bean queen!! Thanks Casey!
This is a really different idea. We like green beans and I like the idea of adding this extra flavour.
A little sweet and a little tangy (balsamic) is perfect with those earthy green beans. Thanks Wendy!
These look delicious! I am always looking for new veggie recipes and will pin this as a reminder to try it. Thanks!
Thanks Trish! I hope you enjoy this one!
These look so flavorful! I’ve never used cardamom in anything.. but now I’m curious to try it 🙂
I have a HUGE jar of it so I need to use it wherever I can. But it really is such a great spice that goes a long way!
I pinned this recipe so I remember to try this! I have mandarin oranges at home right now but no green beans. 😉 In the summer, we get gobs and gobs of green beans from my dad’s garden and this is a recipe that I’d love to try!
Thanks Erin! I appreciate the pin love. Green beans seem to be EVERYWHERE when in season. And hey, when they are free, why not right?!
What a great way to freshen up greenbeans! I usually don’t like them, but these look delicious!
Green beans can be bland. I totally get it. This recipe gives them a little ‘oomph’ 🙂 Thanks Chloe!
What a great flavor combination idea! I never would have thought of mixing the two but I bet it’s delicious!
Thanks Cara! It’s a great combo!
Ha! Too funny about The Jolly Green Giant, and remember Little sprout? I’ve never thought about combining oranges/citrus with green beans. What a great idea! Pinning for later. Great way to get the littles to eat greens and get Vit C. Thanks!
I don’t remember little sprout?! I need to Google this! Enjoy this dish Shann!
Yum this is really creative! Cant wait to try. I’ve recently been loving citrus things so I’m sure I’d be all over this!
Thanks Heather! Citrus is one of my favorite flavors ever. Even as a kid, I craved medicine that tasted like orange. Weird?? 😉
I love sauteed green beans…they have the perfect amount of crunch! Thanks for this great recipe with a citrus twist!
They totally satisfy that crunch factor for me too! Such a fresh side dish for spring. Thanks Lori!
These look so good! Having some crunch is a great idea!
Agreed! Thanks Deynece!
This looks delicious! I love mandarin oranges. My mom used to make green beans with bacon and onion for dinner all the time so this is a great (healthier) alternative. Can’t wait to try!
Oooooo ok that sounds good too!!! So savory. And let’s be honest, anything with bacon is bomb. Thanks for the other green bean inspiration Kellen!
OMG they are my favorite combo too, orange and green beans is perfection! Such inviting pics too 🙂
xx, Kusum | http://www.sveeteskapes.com
Thanks so much Kusum!