Week 3: Vegan Balsamic Roasted Green Beans – A Compassion is the Secret Ingredient Thanksgiving

So we’ve come to the halfway point -week 3! This week is all about the green beans -a favorite vegetable of mine! Before I went vegan, I really did not enjoy green beans but, since going vegan, I think my palate has changed because now I can’t get enough of them. My favorite way to eat them is raw however, for Thanksgiving, I think most people would much rather have them cooked and so that’s just what I’m gonna do.

This recipe couldn’t be any easier and the green beans that you get to enjoy from it are simply addicting. They have a wonderful tart-sweet, peppery flavor that is the result of just 5 ingredients that you probably already have on hand –balsamic vinegar, olive oil, agave, salt, and black pepper. They’re perfectly cooked so that they’re tender but still have a great snap to them, and they’re so, so, incredibly juicy because there ain’t no skimpin’ on the saucy goodness that coats them.

To get started, we must first make the saucy goodness that I just mentioned. In a bowl, you’re going to combine the balsamic vinegar with the olive oil, agave, salt, and black pepper. Give these things a good whisking, to ensure that everything mixes and mingles as it should, then set this aside for a moment to prep the green beans.

Now, let me take a minute to give you a great tip about prepping green beans. Are you ready? Okay, here goes… don’t bother with it! Why take up some of your precious time on Thanksgiving day with prepping green beans one by one when you could just buy a big ol’ bag that’s already been washed and prepped for you?! Save yourself some time and get the ready to use ones. It’ll be our little secret, I promise.

So with your ready to use green beans uh… ready to use… you’re going to go ahead and lay them out across a large sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper.

Using either a pastry brush or basting brush, or a steady pouring hand, get half of the balsamic mixture onto the green beans. Pop the pan into a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes has passed, pull the green beans out, give ’em a flip to ensure even cooking, then add the remaining balsamic mixture by whatever method you chose to add it before. Return the pan to the oven and bake for a final 25 minutes.

When the green beans are done they’ll be wrinkly in all the best ways. Transfer them to their serving dish but be sure not to leave any of the balsamic mixture on the pan -that’s flavor and no flavor gets left behind on Thanksgiving day, y’all. You can use the corner of the pan to pour the settled balsamic mixture over top of the green beans just before serving so that they look all glossy and delicious upon arriving to your table.