I had an intense summer romance with haricots verts this year — those skinny French green beans that have a more complex, less green bean-y taste than their American string/snap bean cousins.

This simple sesame oil treatment was one of my favorite sides of the summer, and I think it would go equally well alongside a Thanksgiving turkey. The sesame oil adds a deep, nutty, fragrant depth of flavor — not Asian exactly (though it easily could go that direction if you used soy sauce rather than regular salt to season them), but slightly exotic.

So if you’re looking for at least one non-casserole, non-creamed, non-rich side for your feast, try this!

Recipe: Sesame Green Beans
I used haricots verts, but you could easily substitute string- or snap-beans. Serves 4.

1 1/2 pounds haricots verts, washed and trimmed
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 Tablespoon dark/toasted sesame oil
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted lightly in a small nonstick skillet
kosher salt to taste

Parboil the beans in a pot of boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, remove to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain.

In a large saute pan, heat the canola oil and sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add beans and saute for 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with kosher salt and serve.