Blanched and Sautéed Garlic Green Beans

Blanching gives green beans a fresh flavor and the perfect texture. This process is also easy to do if you want to make beans to serve later. To test when a bean is perfectly cooked during the blanching process, take a bean out of the pot, squeeze between your fingers. It should still be firm but with a little give, signaling the green beans are cooked. Once they are blanched the green beans can either be refrigerated and reheated later or served cold. I like to sauté them with garlic, olive oil and a little lemon juice.

This is my absolute favorite way to cook green beans. It’s easy to do and is a hit for date nights, dinner parties or Thanksgiving dinners. It’s an easy preparation for the vegetable and pretty much impossible to mess up! Pair these with butter-basted steak au poivre or surf and turf with garlic herb butter.

Blanched and Sautéed Garlic Green Beans

How to cook green beans

Step 1

Bring a pot of heavily salted water.

Step 2

French the beans, removing the strings on both sides with a paring knife.

Step 3

Boil the green beans to the water and cook until tender

Step 4

Drain the green beans and add to a large bowl filled with ice water. When the green beans are cool remove the green beans from the ice and drain again.

Step 5

Sauté the green beans in olive oil with garlic. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

green beans vs. haricot verts?

Curious about the difference between green beans and haricot verts? Though “haricot verts” is a direct translation from French they actually do have a difference. Typical American beans are thicker and less tender than the French variety. Haricot verts are considered a more “refined” variety of the green vegetable.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this garlic green beans recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Niçoise Salad Recipe
• French Potato Salad with Green Beans
• Sichuan Pan-Fried Green Beans with Pork

Blanched and Sautéed Garlic Green Beans

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Serves 4

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup sea salt
• 1 pound green beans
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Kosher salt, as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Instructions:

• Bring a medium pot filled halfway with water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the sea salt and stir until all the salt is dissolved. The water should taste similar to ocean water.
• French the beans, removing the strings on both sides with a paring knife. Add the green beans to the water and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
• Drain the green beans and add to a large bowl filled with cold water and ice cubes to stop the cooking process. When the green beans are cool remove the green beans from the ice and drain again. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• When ready, heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the green beans and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

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