Beans

Green Beans with Leeks & Feta

It has been a whirlwind week with a trip to the Dole Wellness Institute, activities at school & work. Life is picking up speed as Thanksgiving fast approaches. I have a few more recipes to share before the big day hits.

These green beans are simple to prepare & I keep ’em light and healthy. The flavor of the crisp beans shines through & they are made more special with the addition of feta cheese & sautéed leeks. They pair perfectly with my Stuffing with Sweet Potatoes & Cranberries.
String beans for Thanksgiving and family cooking.

These string beans are cooked just enough to show off their beautiful bright color I wanted to give you an option beyond the standard holiday green bean casserole. They make the perfect Thanksgiving side dish. Paired with lemon they would be awesome any time of the year. They would be wonderful served at garden parties, potlucks and beach parties too.

Recipe for healthy string beans for holiday meals.

Simple preparations of fresh veggies brings out their true flavors and textures while maintaining vitamins and minerals. Besides, a heaping serving of these before that pumpkin pie will offset the extra calories, right??!!

Thanksgiving green beans for holiday cooking.

On Monday I will be sharing my Thanksgiving Round-Up post from around the web. If you have any great recipes please leave them in your comments below.

Click HERE for Recipe Details.

Variations

  • Add pieces of cooked diced bacon when you toss the beans with the leeks and garlic.
  • Add some diced toasted walnuts or pecans when you toss the beans with the leeks and garlic.
  • Use your favorite cheese. Shaved Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, Gruyere and Blue Cheese would be great too!

Green Bean Recipe Links

~ Marla Meridith

Join the Conversation

37 thoughts on “Green Beans with Leeks & Feta

  1. I’m loving these beans! The feta addition is what makes them look super scrumptious to me 🙂

    I made a ginger-laced cranberry orange sauce that was delicious:
    http://nutmegnanny.wordpress.com/2010/11/19/ginger-laced-cranberry-orange-sauce/

    I also made a Maple-Gingerbread Layer Cake with Salted Maple Caramel Sauce on a joint blog I run with another blogger, All Through The Year Cheer:
    http://allthroughtheyearcheer.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/maple-gingerbread-layer-cake-with-salted-maple-caramel-sauce/

    1. Jennifer: It took me a while to experiment with leeks. Think I was scared of them for some time, now i can’t live with out them. I love their subtle flavor & they really enhance savory dishes. They are so great roasted too.

      Dara: Thanks for the awesome recipe links. Will be hard to choose which one to put on. Would like to fit them all!

      Anna: I too have a permanent crush on feta.

      Barbara: Yes, it is nice to have one or two non-creamy dishes on the Thanksgiving table. Gives the palate a break!

  2. Marla, this is such a fresh green bean recipe. To me, a green bean recipe like this is far preferable to anything with cream or heavy cheese, particularly when served as part of a Thanksgiving feast.

    Here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes for this year:

    How to Make Turkey Gravy: Recipe & Troubleshooting
    http://cookincanuck.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-to-make-turkey-gravy-recipe.html

    Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Pecan Streusel
    http://cookincanuck.blogspot.com/2010/11/twice-baked-sweet-potato-yam-recipe.html

    Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries & Pecans
    http://cookincanuck.blogspot.com/2010/11/shredded-brussels-sprouts-with-bacon.html

  3. I’m with you, Marla. With all the (over)indulgences that go with Thanksgiving dinner, it so nice to have a simple and light green vegetable to go along with all the “fancy” and rich stuff we cooks dream up. I love the way you have combined crunchy green beans, lemony tartness, and a bit of salty feta depth here. Just right!

  4. YES!! I just bought more than a lb of green beans, and had no idea what to do with them besides a boring green bean casserole. I’m getting flashes of inspirations now. Thanks, Marla! You rock! 😀

  5. These green beans are just bursting with flavor, Marla! I love the use of leeks here, and feta really puts it over the top. Thanks so much for the sweet comment you left on my blog recently…it made my day! XOXO

  6. This looks great. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I am going to make this. I am sure it will go great with everything else I am serving. Thank you for the idea. Cheers!

  7. I just wanted to comment on how wonderful this dish was. So easy to make and just absolutely delicious. The feta really ties it together beautifully.

    Thank you very much for sharing 🙂