Garlic Green Beans

Fresh green beans, sautéed quickly in a little olive oil or butter are truly one of my favorite foods.. This simple green bean side dish goes with everything, and comes together fast! I make it probably once a week, and I never get tired of it.

The trick? Blanche fresh green beans before sautéeing them, so that they are perfectly crisp-tender. I serve these classic green beans for holiday meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas, or everyday meals, like roast chicken or baked salmon. Need more fresh sautéed green bean ideas? Try pesto green beans, green beans almondine, or green beans with apple and sage. 

Sautéed Green Bean Ingredients

• Fresh green beans: Fresh green beans are best, look for bright green beans without black or brown spots. If you have frozen green beans to use up, you might want to try green bean casserole instead.
• Olive oil: Or butter. Use whatever you have or prefer. 
• Garlic: Lots of fresh garlic! 3-4 cloves, depending on how much you love garlic. 
• Salt & pepper: With a simple recipe like this, it’s important to season generously. 

How To Make Sautéed Green Beans

1. Blanch the green beans. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and drop the green beans in for just a few quick minutes.
2. Run the green beans under cold water to stop the cooking. We want crisp-tender, sweet green beans.
3. Sauté the green beans in a skillet with butter or oil with lots of garlic for just a few minutes. 
4. The green beans are done when they are bright green, crisp-tender (not crunchy or mushy), and easily pierced with a knife. The color should be vibrant green. 
5. Season and serve! 

How To Trim Green Beans

The main work of preparing green beans is trimming, but it goes fast once you get in the groove. You can use kitchen scissors and work one by one. Or, my favorite way is to line up several beans at a time on a cutting board and cut off the stem ends with a sharp knife. You can leave the pointed tail ends. They're perfectly edible and I think they look nice. For speed, you can buy pre-trimmed beans, though fresh-trimmed always taste better.

Variations 

• You can use frozen green beans if that’s what you have. Thaw them completely first in the fridge, and skip the blanching step. Just sauté the green beans in the garlic and oil and serve! They won't have quite the same crisp texture as fresh green beans, but they'll still be delicious.
• It’s OK to skip the blanching step, if you want. Just sauté them a bit longer and take care not to let the garlic burn. 
• Brighten it with fresh lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end. 
• Especially if you’re serving these with Asian dishes, top the sautéed green beans with some sesame oil and sesame seeds right at the end.
• Cook chopped bacon in a skillet, then sauté the green beans in the bacon fat. 
• Right at the end, toss the hot sautéed green beans with freshly grated Parmesan. 
• Sauté minced shallots with the garlic. 
• Toss some red pepper flakes in with the garlic for a slightly spicy version.

Green Bean Queen!

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