The French-Style Frozen Vegetables That Outshine Broccoli And Peas At Trader Joe's

The freezer section at Trader Joe's brims with color, flavor, and artful packaging from an endless parade of vegetables throughout the seasons. But, like anything else at Trader Joe's, some choices stand out more than others. In a Tasting Table ranking of 12 Trader Joe's frozen vegetables, familiar staples like broccoli and peas landed in the bottom half of the list, allowing one particular veggie to rise and claim it's fame: Trader Joe's Extra Fine French Green Beans.

Our taste tester ranked the vegetables primarily on flavor, texture, and versatility, while also considering the uniqueness compared to similar versions elsewhere. The chain's French green beans, commonly known as haricots verts, claimed second place overall, impressing on several fronts. They're thinner and more delicate than conventional green beans, therefore becoming tender quite quickly. Our taster praised their "lovely, delicate texture," nothing how they softened without falling apart. Trader Joe's reveals that these "French" beans really are grown in France, where the supplier flash-freezes at peak freshness to keep them sweet, crisp, and snappy. 

Trader Joe's Extra Fine French Green Beans may have stole the ranking show, but that doesn't mean other frozen veggies on the list were total failures. The Broccoli Florets, ranked eighth, were appreciated for the plentiful florets rather than excessive stems, though the frozen broccoli still lacked the firmer texture of fresh broccoli. Petite Peas landed in ninth place, with the small size and quick cook-time making them convenient for tossing into dishes such as soups — but the flavor was fairly neutral.

The small-but-mighty Extra Fine French Green Beans more than earned their spot on our list, and Trader Joe's shoppers seem to agree, giving the frozen beans some online love. One Reddit user said they were "as close to a fresh-tasting green bean as you can get with frozen veggies." Another Redditor and longtime fan said, "I've been eating them for at least 20 years, and saute is the way to go, unless I'm using them in a soup." In a thread about green bean casseroles, one shopper even said they "only use TJ's frozen French green beans" because they make the best version.  

Compared to some of Trader Joe's more creative frozen dishes, these green beans are successful because of their simplicity. Trader Joe's suggests pairing them with diced onion and slivered almonds, or simply steaming them before sauteing with olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, then finishing with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. 

These French green beans also blend beautifully into casseroles, as noted by shoppers, providing a fresher alternative to canned versions. If you're a really big GB fan and enjoy experimenting, follow the Deep South tradition of serving deep-fried green beans for an appetizer or side. Or try them in this quick pan-fried Chinese green beans recipe from Tasting Table recipe developer Miriam Hahn.