This Avocado Caesar + Green Beans Combo Is Magic.
Like, we’re here to talk about green beans, but pick anything from the garden and dunk it in this sauce and it will be your favorite food all summer.
Bjork’s parents were over for dinner a few weeks ago and I made a batch of air fryer chicken (because, what else?). We needed just one more thing to make it into a meal. I had a bag of green beans. I had a craving for this avocado caesar dressing. It was a perfect recipe meet-cute right there in a moment of pre-dinner chaos, and now it’s our summer meal formula.
The salty, bright creaminess of the caesar-like sauce gets all wrapped up with the tender, summery-fresh green beans and lil crispy bits on top and it’s just so good. Fun to look at, fun to eat, and a new summer favorite.
This + any protein is kind of the meal formula for us at the moment. And I feel like you could replicate this formula with almost any garden vegetable! Grilled or roasted zucchini, asparagus, or fresh tender garden lettuce (like a real Caesar).
Easy proteins I usually turn to:
- Air fryer chicken (my go-to)
- Air fryer salmon
- Baked chicken meatballs
- Grilled brats or chicken sausages
Finally, a special word of endorsement for the avocado caesar dressing in this recipe. No matter what veggie we serve it with, they absolutely love it. I have heard the same from so many of you on Instagram – specifically that your kids like it! I do not know what it is about this sauce, but if you are feeding kids, I hope this sauce alone unlocks something for you at mealtime.
It’s lemony and tangy and finger-licking delicious with minimal ingredient usage. My favorite!
Welcome To My Home! Let’s Make These Green Beans.
1
Cook Your Green Beans!
I boil them for about 3-4 minutes so they get tender and bright green. If you cook them for longer than 5 minutes or so, you will likely end up with green beans that turn dull green. Bright green ftw!
2
Blitz Up Your Avocado Caesar Dressing.
I love this little blender (affiliate link) for quick sauce blitzing! This avocado caesar is SO GOOD.
3
Make Your Panko Crispies (If You Want).
Pop a batch of these in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds at a time, stir, and repeat until they’re nice and golden! They keep really well in the fridge for use in lots of things – currently loving them in this big yummy Italian salad.
4
Assemble With The Toppings.
Green beans first, then dressing, then panko, then Parmesan. Red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper, or lemon zest if you’re feeling it!
4
You’re Done! Yum!
You can serve this in one big family-style dish (as shown) or put the little piles of green beans on individual plates and build that way. Either way, get in there and cut up the beans so they mix with the punchy, creamy caesar and the crunchies. So good.
Avocado Caesar Green Beans
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
These Avocado Caesar Green Beans are some type of magic! Tender green beans, a zippy avocado caesar, and toasty panko all over top.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Avocado Caesar Dressing:
- half an avocado
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- pinch of salt
Panko Crispies:
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- pinch of salt
The Green Beans
- 12 ounces green beans, ends trimmed
- Parmesan for topping
Instructions
- Make the Avocado Caesar: Blitz everything in a small blender jar until smooth sauce / dressing forms. Taste and adjust (look out, it’s really good).
- Make the Panko Crispies: Mix panko, garlic powder, olive oil, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each one, until the panko starts to turn golden (about 2-3 minutes total). It’ll be very hot – be careful, don’t taste it yet.
- Cook the Green Beans: Boil green beans for 3-5 minutes until bright green. If you want to preserve the best color, drain and transfer to a bowl with ice water to shock the green beans and stop them from cooking further. Not necessary, but I do this sometimes because I like the very bright green!
- Assemble and Serve: Arrange the green beans on a platter, top with dollops of the avocado caesar, and sprinkles of panko crispies and grated Parmesan. (You’ll probably have a little bit of avocado caesar left which I never have any issues using up!) Add lemon zest, black pepper, or chili flakes if you want. Serve warm or cold with your favorite protein, and maybe a little extra sauce for dunking. So good!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: caesar dressing, avocado caesar, green beans, side dish
Frequently Asked Questions For Avo Caesar Green Beans
YES please repeat this style with every vegetable you can think of! This would be an amazing way to build any kind of garden-vegetable side dish for summer! Fresh lettuce, grilled zucchini, asparagus… someone on Instagram suggested doing this with broccoli and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I might need to try that ASAP.
I’ve said it a few times now but it’s worth saying again: I think this + any easy protein makes the perfect summer meal formula. For the easiest option, you could do a store-bought chicken sausage or grilled brats. For a medium effort option, grilled chicken or shrimp, baked salmon, or obviously I’m going to recommend our house favorite air fryer chicken or air fryer salmon! (We have an air fryer tofu recipe that is amazing, but for some reason it doesn’t seem right with this recipe. If you’re looking for a veg protein I would suggest something like a veggie burger or grilled tofu!)
In the fridge, separately. The sauce, crispies, and Parmesan (obvi) keep really well in the fridge! You can either cook your green beans fresh each time you make this, or you can cook a big batch of the beans and then reheat them before adding your toppings. This also works to eat room temperature or cold!
Yes! Use vegan mayo and skip the parmesan.
