Green beans really are the perfect side dish for so many occasions. Thanksgiving, chicken, steak, fish, ham, and you name it. They can be added to a salad, or made into a salad as a main ingredient, like myGreen Bean + Bacon and Walnut Salad.
The reason I'm calling these "Perfect Green Beans" is because everyone always asks "how they are cooked so perfectly and taste so great?" The trick is to cook the green beans twice. Since they are cooked twice, most of the work can be done ahead of time so all you are really doing is re-heating them before you sit down to the table.
Of course, it starts with high-quality produce. If you are in San Diego, the farmer's markets can be great, but I usually buy my green beans from Specialty Produce. My preference is to get french green beans, which are also called Haricot Verts. If they aren't available, or regular green beans look fresher, then go with those.
You want to buy green beans that have an even green color with no brown discolorations. They should easily snap to show their freshness and the leaves attached to the stems (if any) should not be wilted or brown.
This dish is pretty much as simple as it gets. I learned this technique from chefs in a French restaurant.
All of the vegetables are prep'd ahead of time for service. While you can cook the green beans in a pan, it can take a little while and by the time the inside is cooked, the outside might have lost its bright green color and end up looking like green beans that came from a can. That's definitely not what we're going for.
The solution is to first blanch the green beans in salted boiling water, then shock them in an ice bath once they are just perfectly cooked. This immediately stops them from cooking any further and preserves their color.
When it's almost time to serve them, they really only need to be heated up through and seasoned. We do that by placing them in a skillet with a little butter, chopped shallots and seasoned with kosher salt & freshly ground pepper.
That goes over medium heat until the green beans are nicely warmed through and they are ready to serve.
A few Add-on ideas to the Perfect Green Beans
This recipe is a starting point and how I usually serve them, but there are lots of options for changing things up if you want.
- Herbs
- Toasted Almonds or Pecans
- Roasted garlic
- Lemon juice
- Bacon
Perfect Green Beans
The key to cooking perfect green beans is to actually cook them twice. French green beans, also called Haricot Verts are blanched then sautéed with butter and shallots.
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Justin McChesney-Wachs
Ingredients
- 1 lb french green beans (haricot verts)
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 Small Shallot , chopped
- ¼ cup Warm Stock or water
- kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Clean the green beans by trimming off the stem end (not the other end).
Blanch the green beans in a large pot of salted boiling water until they are just tender, but still crunchy, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste them frequently. you can watch the color turn from lighter to darker, but the best way is to taste them frequently.
Once cooked, quickly transfer the green beans to a bowl of ice water using a spider or tongs. This will quickly stop the cooking and preserve the bright green color.
To finish cooking the green beans right before serving; place the butter and chopped shallot in a skillet over medium heat, cooking until the butter is melted and the shallot starts to turn translucent, about 1 minute
Add the green beans, stock, and season with salt & pepper.
Heat through and serve.
Other Thanksgiving Recipes
Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and an Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Brined and Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
Sausage and Sourdough Stuffing
The Creamiest Mashed Potatoes
Pumpkin-Pecan Bread Pudding
Apple-Rhubarb Crumble
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FAQs
Soy sauce is one of the easiest answers to how to flavor green beans. You can throw in some of this soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, ginger, and garlic and pan fry until glassy and green and you may never want to eat green beans any other way again.
How to make Paula Deen green beans? ›
Add green beans to pan and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add boiling water to pan and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes, just until beans are tender. Add vinegar, butter and salt and pepper and stir.
What should I season my green beans with? ›
Seasoned salt: Buy seasoned salt from the store, or make your own seasoned salt at home. Chili powder: This is an unexpected knockout seasoning. Chili powder adds a touch of spice and color without being too overpowering. Garlic powder: We prefer using garlic powder here.
How to fancy up green beans? ›
Then, I toss the blanched beans with olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and salt to pep up their flavor. Serve them just like that, or dress them up more with toasted almonds or pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, or fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or thyme.
How can I enhance my green bean flavor? ›
If you're looking for a simple mixture that will pair well with a variety of meals, a combination of onion salt, garlic salt, garlic powder, and black pepper works well. You can add dry spices, such as the ones in this mixture, to the skillet at the same time as the green beans.
How do you cook Rachael Ray green beans? ›
Directions. To a medium pan over medium heat add extra-virgin olive oil and butter and onion. Saute onion 3 minutes, add broth and bring to a boil. Add beans, season with salt and cover pan and simmer 8 minutes, until tender.
Why add baking soda to water when cooking green beans? ›
Your Beans Will Cook Faster
Well, creating an alkaline (or basic) environment by adding a small amount (about 1 teaspoon per cup of dry beans) of baking soda to your soaking/cooking water can actually help your beans cook faster.
Is it better to steam or boil green beans? ›
Steaming green beans is an easy way to make a delicious side dish for weeknight dinners. So why would you steam vegetables instead of boiling them? Steaming is slightly healthier because it keeps some of the nutrients intact, but is also a more risk-free cooking method since they're less likely to overcook.
How to cook green beans Jamie Oliver? ›
Put a pan of salted water on to boil. Meanwhile, trim the the beans. Once the water is boiling, steam or boil the beans until tender. Drain well, then tip the cooked beans into the bowl with your dressing and toss everything together, making sure all the beans get coated.
How to add flavor to can green beans? ›
Instructions
- Drain half of the liquid out of the green beans.
- Pour the green beans and the reserved half of the canning liquid into a skillet.
- Add butter, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until almost all of the cooking liquid has evaporated.
directions
- Pack beans loosely in sterilized jars, leaving an inch of headroom.
- Bring remaining ingredients to a boil in a large pot.
- Pour over beans, to within 1/2 inch of the top. ...
- Process in hot water bath for 30 minutes.
- Can be served heated in the liquid from the jar or drained and rinsed, then heated.
Dried beans cooked with sea salt and water are delicious, but adding an onion, garlic, or other aromatics to the pot will make them even more flavorful!
Do you season beans before or after cooking? ›
Seasoning. You can simmer beans and other legumes in nothing but plain water with salt and get great results. But before you start cooking, take a minute to add the herbs, spices, stock and aromatics that make beans even better. Even a humble onion and a bay leaf works wonders.
What month is best for green beans? ›
Green beans are in season from late spring through early fall, typically from May through October.
Why do restaurant beans taste better? ›
If you're wondering what is the secret ingredient for restaurant-quality refried beans, the answer is fat. Restaurant-made refried beans honor traditional Mexican culinary practices by adding a hearty helping of lard or bacon fat drippings to their recipe.
How to get bitterness out of green beans? ›
Blanch Them
Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.
Why are my green beans bland? ›
And because green beans cook faster in salty water, they hold on to their bright-green color. On the other hand, green beans cooked in unsalted water take longer to cook and come out bland and dull.
