Low carb Green Beans with Pesto and Feta are a great side dish blending the bright flavor and aromatics of pesto with crunchy green beans and delicious feta cheese.
» You might also like this Low-Carb Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breast and Low-Carb/Keto Cranberry Sauce.
As a side dish, these green beans can’t be beat. Maybe you wouldn’t have considered coating green beans with pesto, but now that I’m here telling you how amazing it is, you should absolutely get on that!
I’ve always loved basil pesto for its bright flavor and amazing basil aroma, so it makes sense that this would go well together. For a low-carb, delicious side dish, this ones a winner.
» Read about pesto here and find out if it is keto-friendly.
Ingredients You Need
- Green Beans – It’s best to use fresh green beans (aka string beans or snap beans). You can also use wax beans or purple beans. I’ve also used broad bean pods successfully in this recipe.
- Pesto – You can buy prepared pesto or make your own at home.
- Feta – Buy a good quality full fat Greek feta cheese for the best flavor and texture.
- Salted butter – I always use salted butter in savory dishes to add an extra boost of flavor.
- Pistachio nuts – You can buy just the nuts or shell a few yourself. It doesn’t take much. You can also substitute these with pine nuts if you like them better.
- Flake salt – I always finish the dish with a sprinkle of flake salt, which I think gives it a good crunchy finish.
How to Make Low Carb Green Beans with Pesto and Feta
Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and blanch them for 3 minutes. Blanching is just rapidly cooking them for a quick period of time. I prefer my beans to have a little crunch in them, so I blanch them for 3 minutes. If you want them to be crispier, cook for 2 minutes. And softer cook for 4 minutes.
Drain the beans in a colander and run them under cold water to stop the cooking. If you don’t cool them, they will continue to cook and might become too soggy. Set them aside.
In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pistachio nuts and saute for 1 minute. Add the pesto and the green beans to the skillet. Toss to coat well. Leave it on the heat for about 2 minutes, just to heat it through, then turn off the heat.
Sprinkle on the feta and toss carefully. Don’t stir or the feta will mix in too much. You don’t want it to incorporate into the beans to make a sauce.
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of flake salt on top. You can also add some red pepper flakes if you want to add some heat.
Additional Tips & Substitutions
- Avoid overcooking the green beans, as they will become brown and soggy. It’s best not to blanch them longer than 4 minutes.
- You can use canned green beans if it’s the only thing you can get, but they won’t have the same nice crunch to them.
- Use the highest quality basil pesto and feta for the best outcome. Some store-bought pesto is just terrible. Be sure to try it first to make sure you like the brand before using it.
- If you don’t like feta or don’t have it on hand, you can substitute it with blue cheese, gorgonzola, or cubed mozzarella.
- If you don’t like or have pistachios, you can use pine nuts or walnuts. Be sure to toast them first so they lose that bitter raw taste.
How Many Carbs Are In Green Beans?
Green beans are a good choice of vegetable while on a low carb or keto diet. They are low in carbs, especially if you limit your serving size.
There are 7 total grams of carbohydrates in 100 grams of green beans. That’s about 16 4″-long beans, or 1 cup of 1/2″ long pieces. There is also 2.7 grams of fiber in that same amount. That makes it 4.3 net grams of carbs in this size serving.
What to Serve With This Dish?
This side dish goes well with a lot of different main dishes. Here are a few of our favorites:
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Low Carb Green Beans with Pesto & Feta
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans trimmed
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 tablespoons feta crumbled
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1 tablespoon pistachio nuts chopped
- Flake salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and blanch for 3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
- In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pistachio nuts and fry for 1 minute. Add the pesto and green beans. Toss to coat well. Leave it on the heat for about 2 minutes, just to heat it through. Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle on the feta and toss carefully. Do not stir or the feta will mix in too much.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Laura is dedicated to a low-carb lifestyle after losing 52 pounds on the keto diet. As many of us do, she struggles with her weight and has found that one of the only diet lifestyles that allows her to maintain a healthy weight is a low-carb diet. She shares her favorite low-carb recipes here that are both easy to make and full of flavor, so you don’t even miss the carbs.