Healthy Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic and Herbs

JD

October 02, 2019

0

healthy-food, tasty-food-recipe

Sautéing is not as simple as it seems, especially when it comes to fresh vegetables. When we just cooked fresh green beans in hot oil, it resulted in blackened exteriors and undercooked interiors. For more even cooking, once the beans were spotty brown, we added water and covered the pan to let them steam. When the beans were cooked through, we lifted the lid to evaporate any remaining water and continue browning. Garlic-thyme butter added flavor and promoted further browning and fresh lemon juice brightened things up. This recipe yields crisp-tender beans. If you prefer a more tender texture (or are using large, tough beans), increase the water by a tablespoon and increase the covered cooking time by 1 minute. You will need a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
Salt and pepper
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Procedure

Combine butter, garlic, and thyme in small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Add green beans, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add water, cover, and cook until green beans are bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes.

Remove cover, increase heat to high, and cook until water evaporates, 30 to 60 seconds. Add butter mixture and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until green beans are crisp-tender, lightly browned, and beginning to wrinkle, 1 to 3 minutes longer. Off heat, toss with lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Variations

Sautéed Green Beans with Paprika and Almonds

Substitute ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika for thyme. Omit parsley garnish, but sprinkle cooked green beans with ¼ cup toasted slivered almonds before serving.

Sautéed Green Beans with Ginger and Sesame

Combine 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, and 1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce in small bowl and substitute for butter mixture. Substitute 2 teaspoons vegetable oil for olive oil. Omit lemon juice and parsley. Sprinkle cooked green beans with 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds before serving.

Sautéed Green Beans with Roasted Red Peppers and Basil

Combine 2 teaspoons olive oil, ⅓ cup jarred roasted red peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces, 1 minced shallot, and ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes in small bowl and substitute for butter mixture. Substitute 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar for lemon juice and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil for parsley.

Sautéed Green Beans with Tarragon and Lime

Substitute 2 thinly sliced scallions and ½ teaspoon grated lime zest for the garlic and thyme. Substitute 1½ teaspoons lime juice for lemon juice and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon for parsley.

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