Green Bean Recipes

[chemprof]

I like to coat them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and put them on the grill until they are done and have a little browned or charred spots. They're good just as a side dish.

I have friend who will let these cool to room temp, and serve them with a chipotle mayo dip as an appetizer.

Anne

[DTBarton]

Sometimes I like to do them the old fashioned southern way my grandmother used to do. Saute some diced bacon and onions, add the green beans, salt and pepper and chicken broth. Then you simmer them way longer than you think you should! She made this in a pressure cooker also, that was the fast way to make slow cooked beans.

[nakji]

Sometimes I blanch some beans, then saute some bacon and garlic in a pan. I drain of a bit of the fat (not too much, though!) and then add some honey, dijon mustard, and red wine vinegar to the pan, making a kind of dressing. Toss the beans in the dressing and serve warm or cool.

[Keith Orr]

Sometimes I like to do them the old fashioned southern way my grandmother used to do. Saute some diced bacon and onions, add the green beans, salt and pepper and chicken broth.  Then you simmer them way longer than you think you should!  She made this in a pressure cooker also, that was the fast way to make slow cooked beans.

←

Yes! Yes! Yes!

I also like another slow cooked method - start to brown some shallots or red onions in some olive oil. Add some trimmed and blanched green beans plus some chopped herbs - I like thyme and cook until they're very tender. Serve with a sprinkle of sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

[racheld]

Our first picking of our little bush beans---tiny little things, some less than a foot high---yielded about two gallons of small-to-medium, very tender young beans.

I sorted as I topped---didn't tail this time. The teensiest ones went into a separate bowl, to be blanched for a couple of minutes in salted water, shocked, and then put into a rice vinegar/salt/bit of crushed garlic/brown mustard seed dressing with some paper-thin Vidalia, slivers of roasted red pepper, and the rings of the one little bell pepper I found dropped from the plant. I added a drained can of garbanzos, just for Caro, cause she likes them that way, and I can easily avoid them. It looked pretty, even in the Tupperware.

The larger size beans were snapped and put into the Le Creuset where a big hunka ham had been sizzling for a while, along with a lot of chopped onion getting caramelly in the bottom. Some salt and garlic, a couple of cups of water, and the lid went on. An hour and a half, some tiny red potatoes shorn of one little strip around, dropped in and salted a bit, and another twenty minutes til supper.

That was one gallon---the other Ziploc went to DS#2, who tilled, planted, and hoes the garden. He'll be making stir-fried whole beans with garlic and soy at his house tonight, for my DDIL, who is expecting our little one in September, and who is CRAVING those beans.

[StanSherman]

Sometimes I blanch some beans, then saute some bacon and garlic in a pan. I drain of a bit of the fat (not too much, though!) and then add some honey, dijon mustard, and red wine vinegar to the pan, making a kind of dressing. Toss the beans in the dressing and serve warm or cool.

←

Everyone wanted to try this tonight. We had some farm cured bacon, local honey, and Goldfield beans. Nice, really nice. If we were a fine dining establishment we'd be proud to serve what we had tonight.

[nakji]

I'm tickled you enjoyed them. My husband loves beans, and this is one of my favourite ways of cooking them.

Another way I like to do them is to stir-fry them with lots of garlic and a bit of fish sauce. It makes a nice side to lemongrass chicken, or a thai curry.

[Jeff L]

What we like to do in the summer months is to par boil a pound or so of fresh New Jersey green beans, drain pot and add a few cloves of minced garlic and oil. After you smell the garlic add a cup full of fresh diced Jersey tomatoes or good canned ones and put the beans back in. Simmer for about 10 minutes and add some fresh basil at the end.

Edited July 1, 2007 by Jeff L (log)

[kbjesq]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the braised green beans from "All about Braising" by Molly Stevens. I think that Chufi posted a picture of these in the dinner thread. Even though they are called "end of summer green beans", it is such a wonderful recipe that I use it all the time. Especially good with runner beans, I bet!

I also like to prepare new beans by quickly stir-frying (just until they turn bright green) in a bit of sesame oil, with a pinch of salt and sugar. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Delicious hot or cold.

[BarbaraY]

We had green beans last night. Just blanched and lightly tossed with a little butter.

Tomorrow I'm going to make Salad Niçoise ala Julia Child.

I love green beans so much that I like to keep it simple.

Sometimes a make East Indian Green Bean Sabsi.

←

Care to share a recipe? We have 6 requests.

←

I spun this off from a recipe of Madhur Jaffry's for Zucchini with Green Pepper Sabzi.

2-3 Tablespoons of oil, or ghee.

1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds

1/4 tsp black mustard seeds

1 1/4 lbs. blanched green beans

2 Tablespoons plain yoghurt

1 Tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon masala

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Heat oil and cook spices till mustard starts to pop.

Add beans and cook for a few minutes then stir in yogurt, coriander, salt, and masala cook and blend for about 1 more minute.

I put the lemon on my own portion because my daughter can't have lemon.

It called for asafetida which I don't have and don't care for.

Edited July 1, 2007 by BarbaraY (log)

[Beebs]

Szechuan green beans with lots of garlic, ginger, and chili always floats my boat!

[Peter B Wolf]

After steaming/boiling your beans to only the al Dente state ( still crisp ), drain well, and, I never shock mine in icewater !! , spread out on a couple of paper towels o absorb excess water.

Saute a couple diced slices of double smoked bacon in some fresh butter, salt pepper, and fresh snipped Bohnenkraut (Summer Savory) add Beans and toss, do not forget to eat.

"Bohnenkraut", literally translated from German as "Bean Weed".

If you have fresh available, remove leaves from stems for later (cooked Beans) addition, but take the stems and pound them flat like you would with some flowers when putting them into a vase. Now add the stems to the first cooking liquid and its flavor will seep into your beans.

Added note: American summer savory does not seem to have the same potentsy as European Summer Savory ( Bohnenkraut ).

[Shalmanese]

Balsamic Glazed Green Beans:

Saute green beans over medium high heat until they're wilted and there are little specks of brown and black on them, about 15 minutes or so. Then, add in some fine slivers of garlic and toss for a minute and then deglaze with a healthy glug of balsamic vinegar. Toss for another 30 seconds until the vinegar is reduced down to a nice glaze and then serve. The key is to cook the green beans long enough so they they're soft and nicely charred.

[StanSherman]

Barbara, We are going to try your recipe tomorrow. I'll give you feedback.

[ruthcooks]

Here's a link for Summer Succotash on my website (the website is woefully non-updated but the recipes are still great!).

Using baby green beans instead of limas, fresh corn, cream and chives, it's a delicate, fresh version.

[Kouign Aman]

Blanch lightly.

Saute in olive oil with minced garlic.

Season with lemon juice and pepper.

Top with toasted pinenuts.

Toasting the pinenuts ~ doubles the total time from start to finish. The little boogers burn fast.

[jdtofbna]

How about dill pickled green beans? Sterilize tall jars (I like those Ball quilted jars, I think they're 12-oz), put a garlic clove, pinch of red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp dill seed, and a dill bloom head if available in each jar, then pack with washed fresh whole green beans. Boil 1 qt. white vinegar, 1 cup water and 1/2 cup pickling salt and pour into jars. Top with sterilized lids and process in a hot water bath. Makes for great snacking and lovely bloody mary garnish!

[StanSherman]

We made Sabzi last night. We have some marinating tonight as we process 25 pints for the pantry. It's 107 right now so we have to wait until about 9pm to go harvest more.

[deltadoc]

Steam about a 1lb of fresh green beans. Shock them in ice water and dry them off for later.

Chop up some portabella (or other mushrooms) and saute in butter with some finely diced shallots.

Don't turnover the mushrooms until they've had a chance to brown on one side. Add zest and juice of one lemon. Stir back in green beans and heat through. S&P to taste.

A touch of freshly grated nutmeg sets this off really nice.

doc

[jackal10]

All this wet weather has made the runner (pole) beans flourish.

What to do with them?

I made Fifi;s Southern Style Green Bean Casserole, and very good it is too. http://recipes.egullet.org/recipes/r577.html but what is the definitive (and nicest - from scratch only) green bean casserole? Creamed or not?

Any other on that theme (not canned/salted/pickles/frozen - done those already)

[Pontormo]

Highly recommended, unusual way to cook up a LOT of green beans: Polpettone di fagioli, essentially a vegetable torta that is very light and a perfect centerpiece for a summer meal.

The dish is from Liguria, the Italian region responsible for pesto. There, pesto is often served with potatoes and green beans that are cooked in the water you use to boil your pasta.

I love braised green beans, too, but recommend trying them once without the tomatoes since that's my preference if I had to choose.

Great in lots of different types of salads, not just Nicoise. Complemented by batons of fennel if you can find flavorful bulbs in August. Also mint.

ETA: Some people like them in other types of casseroles, too.

Edited August 22, 2007 by Pontormo (log)

[Sony]

Wrap in a cured meat (I use turkey bacon) and roast in a hot oven (400 degrees F) till the outside is crispy and the bean is crisp-tender.

Thinly slice onion, sweat with salt in neutral oil, add a little turmeric, cayenne pepper and cumin seeds. Toast the spices for a few seconds, then add green beans and cook to desired doneness. If you need more exact amounts, I'll measure the next time I make 'em.

[Carlovski]

A spur of the moment Salad I came up with (Probably not original but was new to me!) was to roast some shallots and tomatoes (I think I used cherry tomatoes, but mainly because that is what I had to hand) and toss with lightly cooked beans in a lemony vinaigrette (I think I added a little minced garlic), some lemon zest and fresh basil. I made it more substantial by topping with grilled halloumi too.

[ludja]

Dress cooked green beans and cooked gnocchi with basil pesto... This is one of my favorite summer dishes. Add some halved cherry tomatoes.

If you don't have gnocchi at hand you can also substitute a short stubby pasta with crannies like a gemeli (sic?) (a short, "twinned" fusilli-type pasta) or oriechette. Cubed, boiled potatoes can also be added to the mix.

[fliplap]

Balsamic Glazed Green Beans:

Saute green beans over medium high heat until they're wilted and there are little specks of brown and black on them, about 15 minutes or so. Then, add in some fine slivers of garlic and toss for a minute and then deglaze with a healthy glug of balsamic vinegar. Toss for another 30 seconds until the vinegar is reduced down to a nice glaze and then serve. The key is to cook the green beans long enough so they they're soft and nicely charred.

←

I make this all the time, and add halved cherry tomatoes for color and flavor.