Basil Oil Beans

I lovingly call these basil oil beans my “green beans.” They are bright green, packed with herby flavor, and just ridiculously satisfying.

This recipe is more than just a basil oil, it’s a lemony-parlsey-basil-oil that coats a pot of white beans layered with flavor. But the beauty is, the whole recipe is EASY. It’s ingredients you know that yield results are delicious.

Every house needs a staple “house-meal” – and this is one of those for me. It’s something I can always turn to, it always turns out great and it is ALWAYS so satisfying.

What is an herb oil

An herb oil is exactly what it sounds like – a dressing where herbs are the main base, and then olive oil and some sort of acid to help thin it out. It’s a great way to use up old herbs and it’s one of my go-tos for extra flavor and freshness in a recipe.

An herb oil is really what you make it – you can add cilantro, mint, parsley, dill, etc., and really play around with the flavors you like best.

I opted for only basil and parsley in this recipe, but it would also be amazing with chives or cilantro – feel free to experiment based on what you have!

What you need to make this basil oil

• 1/2 cup fresh basil, stems removed
• 1 & 1/2 cups fresh parsley
• 3 small garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 lemon, for juicing
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, optional

How to make this basil parsley oil

Add the basil, parsley, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and the garlic cloves are fully incorporated. Add the apple cider vinegar to thin out the oil if you’d like. If it needs more thinning, add ice water. Season to taste.

How to cook the beans for this basil oil beans recipe

This recipe is kind of like brothy beans, but slightly different. We want the beans to be nice and thick, meaning we let the broth reduce off the beans. What the broth does is break down the beans slightly, and allows them to turn into a combined, but still “textured” type of mix.

Here’s a step-by-step of how to make the beans before you add the herb oil:

• Bring a large skillet or pot to medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pan, and cook the shallots until translucent but not brown, around 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
• Add in the drained and rinsed beans and stir gently to combine. Try not to let the beans break apart too much.
• Add the stock and stir. This will naturally break the beans slightly, but not too much. Let the liquid reduce until it looks like a thick stew, about 3-4 minutes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Once the beans are thick, remove the pan from the heat.

Serving suggestions for these basil oil beans

I love serving these with rice, because you really can’t beat rice & beans. But here are other serving suggestions if you want to get creative with these basil oil beans:

• Mash and serve on avocado toast
• Serve with a grain bowl
• Serve as a part of a big salad, skip the dressing though, because the herb oil will take care of that!
• Make it into a sandwich, kind of like tuna salad, but bean salad 😉
• Add your favorite noodle and some pasta water and make green pasta!

Looking for other plant-based dinner ideas?

And that’s it for these basil oil beans!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3