Sautéed Green Beans
Servings: 4 - 6 people
- 1 pound (450 grams) green beans fresh or frozen
- 1½ tablespoon (21 grams) extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon for boiling water
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
1. TRIM AND BLANCH GREEN BEANS
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, trim the green beans.To do so, align them on a cutting board and cut the tips off. Set aside.
- Peel and cut the garlic cloves in half lengthwise, then finely chop the cloves.
- When the water boils, add 1 teaspoon of salt, trimmed green beans, and boil them for 5 minutes.Drain them and rinse them under cold water to cool them down.
2. SAUTÉ GREEN BEANS
- Warm up the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet or enameled cast iron. Add the garlic and fry it gently for about 1 minute.
- Add blanched green beans, season with salt and pepper, and cook on medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until you reach your desired texture. Turn them around the pan often.
3. SERVE
- Taste and adjust for salt, and serve them on a platter as a side dish. Optionally, top with fresh mint, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or honey mustard dressing.
- For more ideas, check out the "variations" chapter above.
Nutrition information is an estimate for 1 serving of sautéed green beans out of 4 servings.
NO-BLANCHING SAUTÉED GREEN BEANS
- Add green beans to a large skillet with 1 cup of water.
- Cook uncovered on medium heat for 8 minutes or until the pan is dry.
- Add olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper.
- Turn heat up to medium-high heat and sauté for 5 more minutes, moving the beans around the pan often.
MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE
- Make ahead: our advice is to trim and blanch the green beans up to 24 hours in advance, then cool them down under running water and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Then, all you are left to do is sauté them shortly before serving them.
- Refrigerator: keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: we don't recommend freezing sautéed green beans because they'll lose texture and become soft. However, you can blanch the green beans, cool them down, and freeze them for up to 6 months.
- Reheat: Reheat in the microwave or on a skillet with some olive oil.
