Buttery Sautéed Green Bean Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to green beans to make them taste better? ›

Place butter in the bottom of a serving bowl and add DRAINED green beans, stirring gently until butter is melted. Sprinkle with parmesan (and thyme if using)and serve. NOTE: This would work equally well on fresh or frozen green beans.

While blanching the green beans before sautéing them isn't an essential step, it can lend a nice crunch and vibrant color to them. Whether or not you blanch them, though, be sure they're fully dry before you sauté them or you might end up with a mushy texture.

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.

Not only are they relatively inexpensive, green beans are rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene, an antioxidant that gives fruits and vegetables their color. The vegetable helps fight inflammation and is a good source of folate and potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure.

Why are my green beans so tough? - Quora. If green beans are tough, they likely need to be cooked a little more. Pole beans tend to be tougher and we will cook until tender even if it takes awhile.

If you freeze green beans without blanching them first, the texture, color, and taste won't be quite as fresh when you defrost and eat them after long-term storage. They'll be good for a couple of months in the freezer, but quickly go downhill thereafter.

Some people (especially food service establishments relying upon your satisfaction) add an alkaline ingredient, such as baking soda, to the cooking water to help retain the color of green vegetables.

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.

Why cook green beans in baking soda? ›

In doing a little research, America's Test Kitchen recommends adding some baking soda to the boiling liquid to help the beans tenderize faster, as well as absorb more flavor.

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.

The ingredients listed in order are: "sea salt, granulated garlic, black pepper, granulated onion, ground cumin, and other spices". I have used the recipe listed on this site and included equal amounts of garlic powder and onion powder.

Add the water and immediately cover. Cook covered until the beans are bright green and crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, and serve immediately.

Not adding aromatics

Cooking dried beans with just salt and water is fine, but they are going to taste rather plain. The Bean Institute recommends cooking beans with aromatics to get the most flavor out of them. They advise adding onion, garlic, and fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or bay leaf.

To blanch green beans, fill a large pot of water, set over high heat, and bring it to a boil. Salt the water (per quart of water, estimate a tablespoon of kosher salt), which will bring the green beans to life and enhance their flavor. Once the water is boiling, add the beans and cook for two to three minutes.