The Perfect Green Bean
Guys I have to tell you something.
Green beans are my thing.
Seriously. Like I will eat them right out of the can. Cold.
But, I won’t eat them frozen. Or, won’t even buy them frozen for that matter. Gross.
I prefer them fresh. And whole. Perfect if they come from the farmers market, but I’ll settle with fresh from the produce department. I was so excited this summer to plant wax and green beans. Despite the terrible weather I was able to get a lot of beans and freeze them. Wait. Did I just say I froze them? Why yes I did. Perhaps I should explain that I won’t eat green beans that are frozen. Who wants to eat a cold green bean? That ain’t no fun frozen treat. I also don’t like green beans that were processed and frozen for the sake of my grocers frozen food section. No matter how many ways to Dublin I make them they are always just…well….gross. Frozen green beans are no yumeating that is for sure!
Back to the cans. I buy them. I love them. I eat them all the time. I rinse them to get rid of as much sodium as possible. That was actually a trick I learned in Weight Watchers many moons ago. One of few that I still follow. (LOL)
But my favorite green bean is fresh. I’ll wash them, trim the ends and sometimes eat them raw. Weird? Maybe. But I am pretty sure when it comes to that, I am a raw eaters dream. (another LOL) Or, maybe not.
The best way to make fresh green beans is in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil , sea salt and pepper.
Quite possibly the easiest thing to do. Sugar free. Low carb. Good fats. Low calorie. It’s healthy person’s dream side dish.
When I am feeling really froggy I’ll add some fresh garlic or a pinch of garlic powder if the hubs used all the fresh garlic. That’s his thing. Garlic. He’d probably eat it raw if he could.
The secret to perfect green beans when cooking in oil is to make sure you do it on low heat, and for a few minutes. You don’t want them to be mushy. You wan them to still be sturdy and have a nice crisp. Basically you are just warming them up and giving them a nice rub of flavor.
Want another secret? I do my fresh asparagus this way and that is the only way I have been able to get hubs and kiddo to eat ditch weeds. What? You don’t call them that??? (what is with all these LOL today?) Before me, hubs couldn’t stand them. Now, he’ll eat them if I cook them el dente. I mean come on, it’s sort of like pasta, right?
So there you have it folks. Super simple, super yummy and it tastes just like a famous chef.
Ok, maybe not the famous chef, but they do feel fancy when I eat them.
What is your favorite preparation method for green beans?
I don’t mind canned green beans, but fresh green beans are heavenly. I am totally with you on this one. NOM.
When we travel, I always take Green Beans with me. I don’t like eating in restaurants so having canned green beans with me at least gives me something to eat.
I like fresh better and need to try them your way.
So simple but I bet these are delicious! I love fresh green beans the most! I’m going to try cooking them this way soon!
Me too! There are still some fresh green beans at the farmer’s market so it’ll be a great way to end the produce season!
We only do fresh or frozen veggies, no canned here. The color difference between canned and fresh/frozen is what gets me. I prefer mine just steamed with a little fresh pepper, maybe some garlic and lemon.
Oh, I am so using the term “ditch weeds” from now on! Ha ha! I love fresh green beans — NOT FROZEN — too and totally agree that simple is best.
That’s funny. I find the opposite.. Canned green beans have their own unique taste – still delicious, but frozen tastes more like fresh. I tend to buy canned though for the sake of freezer space.
My Mum is really good at preparing green beans, my I’m best off with them out of a tin. x
Green beans are one of my favorite vegetables, especially when they’re fresh. One of my favorite ways to fix them is “German Style” with bacon, vinegar, and almonds. It’s always requested at holidays!
I only eat them in other foods. Love them in Pot Pie and Pot Pie soup! So good!
We grow our own green beans. I prefer to steam them, or saute them with garlic and butter.
Wow, you are serious about your green beans! So is my cat. Frozen. Cooked. Then cold. She will eat them all day long.
My cat won’t touch them, but my dogs sure do love them!
I love green beans too. I have a phenomenal sweet Italian green bean recipe I make for the holidays and it is the jam! But I will NOT do frozen beans. Yuck.
I love fresh green beans the most! Nothing beats the taste of them! I’ll have to try this out for sure!
Those green beans look really amazing. I have always been a fan!
Yummy! I love fresh green beans but I will eat canned too.
I usually just steam my green beans. They’re perfect with roasted chicken.
Maybe this will help the hubs like green beans. He rarely eats them 😛
I will have to try your method of cooking green beans and asparagus. I usually do mine in the oven. I love cold canned green beans with just a little salt and pepper. I don’t have them often but I do enjoy them.
My favorite way of eating them is by cooking them with carrots and making them into a sort of paste with a blender. I add water to it and other ingredients and it eventually becomes a really delicious green been soup.
I’ve never had that. Going to have to try it. I have been on a smooth vegetable soup kick lately.
I love green beans drained – cooked in oil – sprinkled with garlic, YUM…that is really the only way we eat them at our house!
YUM! I love green beans so I will have to try this out! Thanks!
Cold and fresh? Wow. I never knew anyone who eats it like that yet – I guess I should give it a try.
I like them every way but frozen too. My husband hates green beans… I’ll never understand it. 🙂
He’s really missing out!
Soggy green beans are the worst! Thanks for the tips
I love green beans and would love to try this!
I have to admit that they aren’t my favorite. My husband wishes I knew how to cook more greens!
I absolutely love green beans! I will have to try making them your way!
I love green beans! I like to steam them in the microwave.
Fresh green beans are the BEST! We cook them in the skillet very similar. Those green bean sure do look good in that picture! So glad you shared with us at Home Matters. I always look forward to your goodies:-)
We love roasted green beans with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. I usually intend to serve them as a side dish but we end up snacking on them and having very few for dinner.
I’ve always loved green beans and I often enjoy them with my dinner. My mother served them a lot when we were kids.
My parents planted green beans when I was younger and I remember eating them right off the plant. Love them!
I do that too. And the snap peas. It’s the best.