Green Beans with Spiced Breadcrumbs

Originally published on February 24, 2016

There are a surprising amount of ways to dress up plain old green beans, and adding spiced breadcrumbs might be one of the most unexpected. The crumbs bring a nice crunch to the already crispy beans, and also bring a new layer of flavour to the spices. Don’t worry about packing carbs onto your veggies, though. This recipe does away with the butter that I typically mound onto my green beans, but if you use a good olive oil you won’t even notice.

  • 1 pound green beans, trimmed
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • Salt
  • Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) In a medium-sized bowl combine breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

3.) Pour breadcrumbs onto a baking sheet and bake until they are golden, about 5 minutes.

4.) While the breadcrumbs are baking, place a steamer basket into a saucepan with 2 inches of water. Place the green beans into the basket, cover, and bring the water up to a boil. Let the beans steam for about 3 minutes, just until they are crisp-tender.

5.) Transfer beans to a bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

6.) Lay green beans out on a plate or platter and spread breadcrumbs evenly along the centre of them.

7.) Serve and enjoy!