Sous Vide Mediterranean Braised Green Beans
By America's Test KitchenPublished on March 21, 2019
Time
Sous vide: 2 to 3 hours; active cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Sous Vide Temperature
194°F/90°C
Ingredients
Before You Begin
A dollop of yogurt spooned over the beans adds nice tang. Be sure to double bag the green beans to protect against seam failure. Green beans have a tendency to float when placed in a sous vide water bath, which can lead to uneven cooking. Use weights to make sure the beans are fully immersed during cooking. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.
Instructions
- Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 194°F/90°C in 7-quart container.
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, pepper, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and their juice and baking soda, scraping up any browned bits. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened and just beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer green beans and tomato mixture to 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath, weight bag until beans are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours.
- Transfer beans to serving bowl. Stir in parsley and season with vinegar to taste. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- We don't recommend making this recipe in advance.
to make ahead
Time
Sous vide: 2 to 3 hours; active cooking time: 40 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6Sous Vide Temperature
194°F/90°CIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Most of the time, when we talk about cooking spring vegetables sous vide, we envision properly cooked, al dente haricots verts or just-tender asparagus. But let's not sleep on those old-school army-green bean braises that may have defined our childhood. It's not that they were ever bad, per se, but they could use some improvement. To facilitate the breakdown of the tough pectin exterior of the beans, we add a little baking soda—which plays double duty by also neutralizing the acidic tomato base of the accompanying sauce we add to the bag, too. We cook this flavor base to a relatively dry paste before it goes in the bag, and as the beans cook, the juices released hydrate the paste, resulting in a rich, satisfying sauce that coats each bean. With some crusty bread and company, this dish is sure to take you back in time and warm up your soul.
Before You Begin
A dollop of yogurt spooned over the beans adds nice tang. Be sure to double bag the green beans to protect against seam failure. Green beans have a tendency to float when placed in a sous vide water bath, which can lead to uneven cooking. Use weights to make sure the beans are fully immersed during cooking. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.
Instructions
- Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 194°F/90°C in 7-quart container.
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, pepper, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and their juice and baking soda, scraping up any browned bits. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened and just beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer green beans and tomato mixture to 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath, weight bag until beans are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours.
- Transfer beans to serving bowl. Stir in parsley and season with vinegar to taste. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- We don't recommend making this recipe in advance.
to make ahead
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