List all recipes for: Green Beans
Diane's Favorite Summer Salad
Here is my favorite way to prepare both my favorite summer vegetables into one dish.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and plunge in the beans. You can remove the stem end but there are no strings and I rarely break them into smaller pieces. Set the timer for 3 minutes, drain the beans and place them on a large baking sheet to cool. You can prop up one end to let the bit of water drain if needed. Make up a vinaigrette with loads of garlic and well seasoned with salt and pepper. Put the beans in a bowl and pour most of the vinaigrette over and toss. Let sit at room temperature for an hour or so. Meanwhile, cut tomatoes into wedges and toss in the remaining vinaigrette. Serve in a shallow bowl or platter, the beans in the center and tomatoes around the edges.
Our basic vinaigrette recipe is this: finely mince several cloves of garlic, add a teaspoon of salt and continue mincing until the salt has dissolved into the garlic. Scoop it all into a small bowl, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, 1/4 cup vinegar (use any kind you wish, I like to use white wine vinegar for the bean recipe). Whisk well, then while whisking, pour in olive oil until the mixture is thickened. Takes about 1 cup oil. The general rule is 1:4 vinegar to oil. Taste to adjust salt and pepper. We like a lot of pepper! And because the beans will absorb the flavorings, you'll want more in the vinaigrette. A teaspoon or so of Dijon type mustard would also be delicious! If there is more vinaigrette than you'll need for this dish, cover and store in the fridge. Make a bunch at once, the oil will separate during storage but you can shake it up and warm to room temperature when you need it again.
Edamame - basic recipe
Edamame is available only a short time of the year. When you see it in your Farmer's Market plan on making your purchase, use within a few days and enjoy! Use as you would peas or beans or do as they do in Japan for happy hour, boil them, pod and all for about 10 minutes in salted water, cool in ice water for a couple of minutes, then squeeze the beans directly into your mouth. The pods are inedible!
French Filet Beans
French Filet Beans
I typically steam my French Filet Beans about 8 minutes but I got a new cookbook (Nourishing Traditions) which says this:
French beans can be steamed in a vegetable steamer but better results are obtained from blanching. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Plunge in beans and cook rapidly for about 8 minutes, until they are tender. Pour beans into a colander and rinse with cold water. This will bring out an intense green color. Transfer to a heated serving dish and top with a generous dot of butter. Place in a warm oven to restore heat, up to ½ hour. There you have it, two ways to cook beans!
Fresh Shell Bean and Basil Soup
Shell Beans are a treat: shell them first, then you get a delicate, delicious treat that doesn't need to be cooked as long as a dried bean, but can be used in many of the same places. You can cook them a bit until tender in broth or water and use where you would cooked dry beans. they also work well in most fava bean recipes. Fresh shell beans in their pods can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Good air circulation is important to prevent mold. Once shelled, the beans should be covered or put in a plastic bag and refrigerated no longer than overnight. Cooked beans will keep for a day or so in the refrigerator, submerged in their cooking liquid.
4 slices chewy, country-style bread
2 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup fresh shelled beans
1 bay leaf
1 t. freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 400F. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with olive oil. Return to oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes until toasts are firm and lightly golden. Remove and let cool, then rub both sides of each toast with a garlic clove. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the garlic and onion; cook, stirring for a minute or two, until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken broth, beans,, bay leaf and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the beans are soft. Taste for salt, adding more is needed. Remove the bay leaf. While the beans are cooking, puree the basil and olive oil. Set aside. Place a toast in the bottom of each soup bowl, then ladle in the soup. Add a teaspoon of the basil sauce to each, giving half a stir with the spoon to make a swirl.
Garlic and Thyme Green Beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Warm oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften and brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients, stirring well.
Green Beans with Asian Flair
1 pound green beans, stem end trimmed
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Blanch beans until barely tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and plunge in ice water to cool. Drain again and dry on a kitchen towel. Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and chile flakes and cook, stirring until the garlic begins to brown (but don't let it burn!). Mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar and add to the pan, stir to mix, then add the chicken broth. Cook for 2 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce, add the beans and cook until the they are thoroughly hot and coated with the sauce.
Green Beans with ginger
1 pound haricots verts (French Filet or any young, fresh string bean)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/2 Thai chile, thinly sliced (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Bring a 4 quart pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Add haricots verts and blanch until vibrant green, about 5 minutes. Drain well, then spread on a cooking sheet to cool. Heat oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook until just golden, 1 minutes. Add ginger and chile and cook for 1 minutes. Add blanched and drained haricots verts and cook tossing until heated through. Season with salt, toss and sprinkle with sesame seeds and lemon zest.
Green Beans with Toasted Almonds and Lemon
Trim the stem end from the beans. Melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add ¼ cup sliced almonds. Cook, stirring often until the almonds begin to brown. Turn the heat off and add juice of ½ lemon and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the beans until tender in boiling water (don’t over cook, begin testing after about 8 minutes). Drain well and toss with the almonds and butter. Adjust salt and pepper. You can substitute chopped pecans or hazelnuts for the almonds. Or add a clove of minced garlic to the butter just before adding the beans.
Green Beans, Flemish Style
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add beans and cook uncovered until just tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet, add ¼ cup minced scallions and cook about 5 minutes…they should be lightly brown. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar and cook 1 minute longer until the sugar caramelizes. Be careful not to let it burn. Add ¼ cup chicken broth or water and let simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Dissolve 1 teaspoon corn starch in 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Add to the shallots, bring to a boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat, season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Add the green beans, mix well and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Grilled Fresh Beans with Thyme and Feta
Use a grill basket or this recipe or you'll find your beans falling through the grate!
1/2 pound fresh beans, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Salt and coarsely ground pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta
Preheat grill and grill basket to moderate heat. Place the beans in a baking dish, drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with the thyme and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss with your hands until the beans are well coated. Transfer the beans, using your hands, into the hot grill basket. Shake occasionally and grill until beans are bright green with a few brown places. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle with the cheese.
Haricots Verts with Herb Butter
By mixing butter, shallots, fresh herbs, and lemon juice together right in the serving bowl, you get an instant dressing on contact with hot haricots verts that you toss in at the last minute. Nothing could be simpler, or more packed with flavor.
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 lb haricots verts or other green beans, trimmed
Stir together all ingredients except haricots verts with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until combined well. Cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 6 quarts water), uncovered, until tender crisp, about 6 minutes, then drain. Toss with herb butter. Herb butter can be made ahead and chilled, covered, 3 days or frozen, rolled into a cylinder in plastic wrap and kept in a sealed bag, 1 week.
Pasta with Fresh Shell Beans and Broccoli
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 ½ cups diced tomatoes, either canned or fresh
1/4 cup water
1 pound shell beans, shelled and steamed until tender/firm
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
6 ounces orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) or medium pasta shells
1/2 pound broccoli, separated into small florets (you could also use your cauliflower here)
3 tablespoons freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; stir 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes with juices and 1/4 cup water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; boil gently until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in beans and basil. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add broccoli florets; cook until pasta is just tender but still firm to bite and broccoli florets are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes longer. Ladle out 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain pasta and broccoli florets; return to pot.
Add sauce and reserved pasta cooking water to pasta and broccoli and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.
Roasted Green Beans
This technique works for broccoli and asparagus too. Use parchment paper to line the baking sheet for easier cleanup.
1 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed, leave small beans whole, snap larger beans into 1 inch lengths
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Trim the stem end of the beans. Toss in a bowl with the oil, salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges of the beans are brown, about 4 minutes. Pour the beans back into the bowl and toss with the vinegar. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Sautéed Green Beans
Serves 4
1 pound green beans, stem end trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely minded
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the beans and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and plunge into ice water to cool. Drain again and dry on a kitchen towel. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook and stir until soft and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Add green beans, raise heat to medium high and cook until beans are heated through and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and serve immediately.
Thin-Sliced Beans with Citrus Zest and Chives
Try this with all green or all yellow beans or for great visual appeal, mix the two in equal amounts.
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¾ lb beans, sliced diagonally ¼ inch thick
2 tbsp water
Salt and pepper
¼ tsp finely grated lemon zest
¼ tsp finely grated lime zest
2 tbsp snipped chives
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the beans and cook over moderately high heat, stirring for 1 minute. Add the water, season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook the beans until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Add the zest and chives and cook, stirring until the beans are tender, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Stir in the lemon juice and serve!
