This Is the Best Frozen Vegetable Side Dish You Can Buy at Aldi
This post is an Aldi twofer: You get two tips for the price of one! (And, hey, this post cost you $0, so it’s an extra good deal.) The first tip is simple: Pay attention to the empty or nearly empty shelves. This is usually an indicator that an item is super popular — it’s in such high demand that it needs to be restocked. That’s how I learned about Red Bag Chicken, and it’s what brings me to my next tip: Buy the frozen green beans with cashews and miso sauce.
On a recent trip, I spotted an almost empty shelf in the freezer case and bent down for a closer look. Only a few boxes of frozen green beans with cashews and miso sauce remained, but those boxes seemed like the perfect weeknight dinner plan. I bought a couple (leaving some for the next shopper) and now I start my weeknight meal planning knowing that I have a side dish waiting in my freezer that’s full of flavor. With my veggie covered, I only have to worry about making a protein-packed main dish.
Specially Selected Green Beans with Cashews and Miso Sauce, $3.99 for 10 ounces
Upon first bite, I was blown away by the crisp-tender texture of the beans, the sweetness of the red onion, and the richness of the miso sauce. I should point out that the cashews are the least impressive part of this dish, as nuts are notorious for softening upon refrigeration (or freezing, in this case). I wish Aldi’s sous chef’s stashed the cashews in a separate package to toast on their own and add at the last minute. Even without a nutty crunch, though, these green beans have earned a permanent spot in my meal plan rotation.
While this green bean side dish is satisfying on its own, here are a few tips for making it even better.
- Add your own cashews. Until my comment card reaches Aldi’s corporate office, do the next best thing and add an extra handful of cashews yourself. No cashews on hand? Try peanuts or almonds.
- Mix with frozen green beans. With a serving size of two and a half, it’s no surprise that you’re grabbing the frozen boxes two at a time to feed the family. Instead of paying for another box of the same, add plain green beans to the skillet instead. There’s plenty of the savory miso sauce in the packaging to drizzle over the beefed-up green beans.
Do you have a favorite frozen veg side from Aldi? Tell us in the comments below.