Green beans with tomatoes and balsamic vinegar

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g green beans
• Salt
• 1 onion(s)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp thyme, shredded
• 3 vine tomatoes
• black pepper, freshly ground
• 3 tbsp Aceto balsamico, aged
• 4 sprigs of thyme

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

as a starter or vegetable side dish

Wash and trim the beans, then cut into approximately 4 cm long pieces. Blanch in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes and drain thoroughly. Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a deep pan and sauté the diced onion. Add the garlic and let it soften briefly. Add the beans and thyme, season lightly with salt, and cook in a covered pan for about 10-12 minutes until al dente, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, score the tomatoes crosswise, blanch briefly, refresh, and peel. Remove the stems and seeds, and dice the flesh. When the beans are tender, add the diced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. To serve the beans as an appetizer, serve them lukewarm, drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar and garnished with a fresh thyme sprig. Note: These beans are also delicious with some crumbled feta cheese and crispy ciabatta bread! Alternatively, these beans can be served warm as a vegetable side dish without balsamic vinegar. They go perfectly with lamb or a juicy steak.