10 Ways to Dress Up Green Beans (2024)

FAQs

10 Ways to Dress 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.

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.

Onions and garlic: Quartered onions, halved shallots, or smashed garlic cloves. Herbs: A sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme, or sage, parsley, or cilantro leaves or stems. I often add frozen herbs to my home cooked beans. Spices: Black peppercorns, freshly ground black pepper, bay leaves, or dried chiles.

Switch up your bean cooking liquid

Water is perfectly good for cooking beans, but if you want extra flavor, why not add another liquid? You can cook beans in any kind of stock, for example, or any kind of combination of stock and water that you want. You can also add some wine or beer for more 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.

Open the can of green beans and drain them, leaving 1/3 to a 1/2 of the liquid in the can. In a small bowl, stir a bit of salt together with the pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Don't add a lot of salt, since you will be tasting the beans and can add more after cooking.

Toss drained/rinsed/dried beans with a bit of olive oil (or avocado oil) and your favorite seasonings. You can add crushed whole seeds (coriander, cumin, fennel, mustard, etc.), woodsy herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage), red pepper flakes, crushed garlic cloves, and of course salt and pepper.

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.

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.

In general, most beans go well with herbs like parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme. You usually can't go wrong with garlic and onions, either. Specific kinds of beans, like fava beans or mung beans, have other affinities with particular herbs and spices. This is not to say that other combinations won't work.

What is the best way to put up fresh green beans? ›

To best freeze and store green beans, label each bag with dates and amounts. Lay the bags with green beans flat in your freezer, but leave some space between the bags so air circulates evenly. When frozen solid, you can take the bags with green beans and place them closer together in the freezer.