Recipes For Green Beans

Sautéed Green Beans with crispy bits of garlic is an easy, classic preparation for a green beans side dish. Though not the most explosively exciting recipe on my website, it’s a life essential recipe that will serve you well for the rest of your days!

I serve this as a side with all cuisines. Yes, even Asian food – read on!

I have a surprising number of recipes starring green beans on this website. From sides to mains (Sichuan Green Beans with Pork, anyone??), it turns out that green beans may just be my favourite vegetable. Second perhaps only to potato which, as my mother would quickly point out, doesn’t have great nutritional value and thus qualify as a vegetable whose vast intake you ought to boast about.

Having said that, to date all the green bean-centric recipes have been things I classify as interesting or just plain fabulous (pretty sure there’s been an excessive use of both these words in all these recipes). Like Ottolenghi’s herb loaded Green Bean Salad. Or a luxe Green Bean Casserole. And this Green Bean Salad with a Creamy Avocado Dressing.

All worthy dishes, but they’re either a wee bit on the rich side and/or are a little more involved. In other words, not the simple green bean side that I make “all the time”. Rather that place is often filled with today’s recipe: Sautéed Green Beans with crispy little golden garlic bits!

Simple Skillet Green Beans

These simple skillet green beans are a perfect healthy side dish. They are made in one pot with garlic, olive oil and a little spice. They are vegan, paleo and naturally gluten-free.

Prep: 15min

Total: 15min

Yield: 5

Serving Size: 1 cup

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 cup, calories 70 calories, Sugar 0 g, Sodium 230 mg, Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g, Carbohydrate 6 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 1 g

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flake, or to taste
• 1.5 pounds green beans, trimmed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons water

Instruction:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add red pepper flake and stir to coat the pepper in the oil. Add green beans and cook, stirring often until the beans are blistering and browning in areas, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and salt and cook, stirring constantly until the garlic is fragrant and browning, about 30 seconds. Add water and immediately cover. Cook covered until the beans are bright green and crisp tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

The Best Green Beans Ever

Ree Drummond’s Best Green Beans Ever recipe, from The Pioneer Woman on Food Network, starts with bacon grease and gains even more flavor from chicken stock.

Total: 0 40min0

Yield: 6 servings

Serving Size: 1 of 6 servings

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 6 servings, calories 93, Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 2g, Carbohydrate 10g, Fiber 3g, Sugar 5g, Protein 3g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 305mg

Ingredients:

• 1 pound green beans
• 2 tablespoons bacon grease (can substitute 2 tablespoons butter)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth, plus more if needed
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (can substitute regular table salt, use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)
• Ground black pepper

Instruction:

1. Snap the stem ends of the green beans, or cut them off in a big bunch with a knife if you’d prefer.
2. Melt the bacon grease in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Then add the green beans and cook until the beans turn bright green, about a minute. Add the chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to low and cover the skillet with a lid, leaving the lid cracked to allow steam to escape. Cook until the liquid evaporates and the beans are fairly soft, yet still a bit crisp, 20 to 30 minutes. You can add more chicken broth during the cooking process, but don’t be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can start to caramelize.

Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic

This is a wonderful,classic preparation for a green beans side dish – simmer beans until bright green then toss with garlic until golden and crispy. Serve as a side with everything, any cuisine, from Western to Italian, Middle Eastern to French!If serving with Asian food, I like to add the tiniest drizzle of sesame oil at the end and sometimes a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Just gives it that little Asian-esque finishing touch!Love green beans? So do I! See all my Green Bean Sides.

Prep: 5min

Yield: 2

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 102 kcal, Carbohydrate 9 g, Protein 2 g, Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Sodium 153 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 4 g, unSaturated Fat 6 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 250g/ 8oz green beans (, trimmed (Note 1))
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ((or… butter!))
• 2 garlic cloves (, finely minced (~ 2 tsp), do not use jar or garlic crusher (Note 2))
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 pinch black pepper

Instruction:

1. Blanch beans: Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 1 teaspoon of salt. Add beans, cook for 4 minutes (they will turn bright green), drain, then rinse under cold tap water to cool. (There’s really no need to shock in ice water). Shake off excess water.
2. Sauté: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add green beans and garlic. Toss (or stir!) for 2 minutes until the garlic is golden and crispy. Add salt and pepper, then toss.
3. Serve: Transfer beans to serving dish. Serve warm!
4. Prepare ahead: Blanch beans per step 1, cool and dry, store in fridge until required. When ready to serve, just toss with garlic. It’s an instant on-demand side!

Garlic Green Beans Recipe