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Photography by Antonis Achilleos and Greg Dupree for Sweet July Magazine, Holiday 2021 Issue

Balsamic Green Beans & Mushrooms with Bacon

By Sweet July

Boring beans have no place at your table.

Serves: 8 people

Time: 30 minutes

A classic side dish gets taken up a notch.

Crunchy green beans are elevated with additions of mushrooms, bacon and a tasty balsamic dressing. This cozy dish is what holiday menu dreams are made of.

Photography by Antonis Achilleos and Greg Dupree for Sweet July Magazine, Holiday 2021 Issue

Ingredients

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
2 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 (2-ounce) portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and cut into 8 wedges (or 1 [8-ounce] package cremini mushrooms, halved)
1/4 cup finely chopped (about 1 medium) shallot
2 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Prepare an ice bath. Cook green beans in boiling water until bright green, about 2 minutes. Transfer to ice bath, and let sit until thoroughly chilled, about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

step 2

Heat a large skillet over medium-high, and add bacon; cook until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes.

step 3

Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, sugar and red pepper in a small bowl.

step 4

Remove bacon from skillet, reserving about 2 tablespoons of drippings in skillet. Add mushrooms to hot skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been released, about 5 minutes. Add shallot and garlic to skillet, and cook until softened, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Add blanched green beans, cooked bacon, salt and black pepper. Cook, tossing often, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add balsamic mixture, toss to coat, and remove from heat. Serve immediately.