Blistered Green Beans With Tomato-Almond Pesto
This recipe is from Bon Appetit Magazine. Its super delicious and easy to make. I especially like that it can be done in advance and served at room temperature. I don’t cook the bean on top of the stove. I put them on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven at 425 for 5-10 minutes depending on the size of the beans.
8 servings
2 pints cherry tomatoes
¼ cup unsalted, roasted almonds1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 pounds haricots verts or green beans, trimmed
Preheat oven to 450°. Roast tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, turning once, until blistered and lightly charred, 15–20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Finely chop almonds in a food processor. Add garlic, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, and half of tomatoes; pulse to a coarse pesto consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1½ tsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add half of beans; cook, undisturbed, until beginning to blister, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 7–9 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Spread beans out on a platter; let cool. Repeat with remaining vegetable oil and beans.
Toss beans with pesto; season with salt and pepper if needed. Add remaining tomatoes and transfer to a platter.
While the tomatoes are baking, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Add the chopped shallots and tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the flour, and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Add the tomato juice and the tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot. If you do not have an immersion blender, strain the tomatoes from the liquid, puree it in a food processor or blender and then add it back to the pot. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
I like to serve this with fresh croutons. To make croutons, cut a sourdough baguette into ? inch pieces. Place in a bowl and lightly coat with olive oil. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes until golden brown.