Add Extra Flavor To Your Green Beans With An Unexpected Ingredient
If you're looking for a new way to enjoy green beans, all you have to do is pair them with an unexpected ingredient: salsa. Adding your favorite type of salsa is the perfect way to add some extra flavor to what many consider a bland side dish.
Overall, green beans have a somewhat mild flavor — they're a little sweet and a little earthy — so they make for a great base for showcasing something like salsa, which is packed full of flavor. Specifically, the heat in salsa — whether it's mild or more intense — will act as a nice balance to the sweetness of green beans. You can use any type of salsa that you please — whether it's homemade or from a jar — for this combination. You can also choose how you'd like to cook the green beans, such as boiling or sauteing — whichever method you're most comfortable with will work just fine.
After the green beans are cooked, it's time to add in the salsa. You'll want the salsa to be warm, so you can either heat it in the microwave before adding it to the freshly cooked green beans or combine the two ingredients over low heat in a pan. The result will be everything you love about green beans but with a flavor elevation. Plus, it's the perfect way to enjoy salsa if you don't have any tortilla chips on hand.
Ideas for combining salsa and green beans
You can use jarred salsa for this combination — and if you do, be sure to check out our taste test to find the best store-bought salsa. But you can also make the salsa from scratch to maximize the fresh flavor and customize it exactly to your liking. Try a roasted garden salsa or, to match green with green, salsa verde.
Once you've combined the salsa and green beans, you don't have to stop there — there are other ingredients you can add to elevate the side dish even further. For a crunchy element, mix in your favorite type of nut or seed (pepitas are a great choice). Or use salsa's favorite companion, tortilla chips, as the crunchy element — crush the chips into smaller pieces and add them directly into the green bean-salsa mix.
For anyone who wants to make the dish a bit spicier, add diced jalapeños. Or, if you used spicy salsa and want to give the dish a spicy-sweet balance, you can add a drizzle of honey over the top.