This is such a flavourful and fun way to enjoy green beans and potatoes! My recipe for oven-roasted fresh green beans and baby potatoes combines vegan pesto, lemon juice, Tamari, and spices for a delicious dish that’s part salad, part side. Roasted on one sheet pan in the oven, this recipe for potatoes and green beans results in golden brown baby Yukon gold potatoes and perfectly tender green beans. Serve warm right out of the oven tossed with the lemony pesto dressing. Toasted pine nuts and chopped fresh basil go on top. Cooks up in 40 minutes with 10 ingredients.
I cook these veggies together all the time! Both are super versatile depending on what you’re serving up for your main course. I also find that most folks enjoy beans and potatoes together on their plate. This is true even if they claim to be fussy with vegetables. Needless to say, this combination has been well-tested in my kitchen over time.
An Italian style twist is nice here, with inspiration from the classic pesto pasta dish from Liguria that combines green beans, pasta, potatoes, and pesto. In this recipe, I roast green beans and potatoes together with spices. Once caramelized and tender, the hot vegetables are tossed with a mixture of pesto, lemon juice, and Tamari for a bright, herbal, and well-seasoned flavour profile.
Halved baby Yukon gold potatoes take about 40 minutes in a 400 oven to cook through and develop golden edges. At the 20 minute mark, I add the green beans to the baking sheet as they take less time. You can line your baking sheet with parchment paper to make cleanup a snap with this already quite simple dish.
I did test roasting thawed frozen green beans for this recipe and didn’t love the results. The flavour was pretty bland and there was a mush factor with the texture unfortunately. I also found that the colour faded from green to grey-brown. Fresh green beans are the way to go!
This side/warm salad would be great with my marinated and grilled tempeh, summer veg and tofu skewers, or even a pot of brothy beans.
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Fresh Green Beans & Baby Potatoes with Pesto
Fresh green beans and potatoes roast together in the oven for 40 minutes before getting tossed with a simple lemony pesto dressing. A lovely and easy warm salad/side!
Servings 4 -6
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 ½ lbs baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ¾ lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed
- ⅓ cup vegan pesto
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Tamari
- chopped fresh basil, for garnish
- toasted pine nuts, for garnish
Notes
- Any small potatoes that you like are good here! Red skinned potatoes, Fingerlings etc.
- I used classic vegan basil pesto but alternative pesto varieties (kale, parsley, sun dried tomato) would also be nice.
- Store bought pesto makes this dish even easier! I love Sunflower Kitchen and Gotham Greens for vegan pesto options.
- I did test roasting thawed frozen green beans for this recipe and didn’t love the results. The flavour was pretty bland and there was a mush factor with the texture unfortunately.
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a half sheet-sized baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Make the spice mixture. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
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In a medium bowl, combine the halved baby potatoes, half of the spice mixture, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat and then transfer to the banking sheet. Spread the potatoes out and then slide the baking sheet into the oven. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
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Place the green beans in the medium bowl and toss them with the remaining spice mixture, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper.
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When the 20 minute timer goes off, pull out the baking sheet and give the potatoes a little flip and toss. Add the green beans to the baking sheet and spread everything out in a single layer. Slide the baking sheet back into the oven and set a timer for 20 minutes.
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Rinse out the medium bowl and give it a wipe. To the bowl, add the vegan pesto, lemon juice, and Tamari. Whisk to combine.
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Once the potatoes are golden brown and green beans are tender, remove from the oven. Pour the pesto mixture over top and quickly toss to coat. Serve green beans and potatoes warm with chopped fresh basil and toasted pine nuts.
