How to Cook Green Beans
Learn how to cook green beans to get those perfectly crisp-tender and vibrantly beautiful veggies to enjoy in a variety of side dishes or incorporating into other bean-celebrating recipes!
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans or yellow wax beans
- salted water for boiling (use kosher or sea salt)
Instructions
- Rinse the beans in a colander and use your fingers or a knife to snap off or trim the ends. You can trim the stem end only or trim both ends. Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. The recommended guideline is 2 tablespoons of salt per quart of water (use kosher or sea salt, table salt has a harsh flavor). This high concentration of salt helps tenderize the beans quickly so that their vibrant color is preserved. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with cold water with ice cubes.
- Place the beans in the boiling water. If you're going to eat the beans as is, boil them for about 3-5 minutes until tender but still retaining some crisp (the more slender the diameter of the bean, the less cooking time). The texture should be "snappy" and such that you can bite through it without hearing it squeak. If you plan to cook the beans further after blanching them (like sautéing them in oil, giving them a quick char, or using them in a casserole), boil them for 2-3 minutes.
- Use a pair of long tongs to remove the beans and immediately plunge them into the ice bath to chill. Drain the beans in a colander then place them on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and blot dry. If not using immediately, you can store the green beans in the fridge for up to 2 days. At this point you have options: Eat your green beans now, prepare them further by sautéing and seasoning them, or use them in any recipe that calls for green beans. Or you can freeze them for future use (see blog post).
Nutrition
Calories: 35kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 2gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 7mgPotassium: 239mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 782IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg
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