Learn how to cook fresh green beans perfectly every time! Serve them as a side dish, or add them to your favorite green bean recipes.
Nearly all of my fresh green bean recipes begin with blanching the beans. If you ask me, everyone should learn this method for how to cook green beans. It’s quick and easy, and it yields beans that are vibrant, crisp-tender, and not at all mushy. They’re perfect for serving as a side dish or adding to salads and sandwiches. Heck, they even make a great green bean casserole!
Below, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to how to cook fresh green beans, as well as my favorite green bean recipes. They include ideas for Thanksgiving, summer picnics, and dinners all year round. I hope you find something you love!
How to Cook Fresh Green Beans
My method for how to cook green beans is super simple! Here’s how it goes:
First, wash and trim the beans. Rinse them in a colander under cool running water, and snap off the stems. While you work, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Set a large bowl of ice water nearby.
Next, blanch the beans. When the water is boiling, drop the trimmed beans into the pot. Cook for 2 minutes, until crisp-tender and vibrant green.
Then, chill! Immediately transfer the blanched beans to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Let them chill for at least 15 seconds; you want them to cool completely.
Finally, drain the beans, and spread them on a kitchen towel or paper towels to dry.
That’s it! The string beans are ready to eat.
Serving Suggestions
In the summer and early fall, when fresh green beans are at their best, I often serve them on their own as a side dish. Then, I toss the blanched beans with olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and salt to pep up their flavor.
Serve them just like that, or dress them up more with toasted almonds or pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, or fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or thyme.
Variation: Buttery Green Beans
For an easy, delicious side dish, toss the blanched beans with salted butter and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Add even more depth of flavor by using this garlic butter or an herb compound butter!
You can also use the blanched vegetables as a starting point for larger green bean recipes such as these:
As you can see, learning how to cook fresh green beans by blanching them will set you up for making all kinds of delicious recipes. Let me know which ones you try!
More Fresh Green Bean Recipes
Try making one of these fresh green bean recipes next:
You might also like my sautéed asparagus, roasted carrots, or roasted Brussels sprouts!
How to Cook Fresh Green Beans
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 15 minutes mins
Serves 4
Serve these blanched green beans or haricots verts as a side dish with lemon and olive oil, or add them to your favorite green bean recipes. Find suggestions in the post above!
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans, stemmed
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water nearby. Drop the green beans into the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes.
Remove the beans and immediately immerse in the ice water long enough to cool completely, about 15 seconds. Drain and place on paper towels to dry.
Use in any recipe that calls for blanched green beans (see suggestions in the blog post above), or simply toss the blanched green beans with the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
FAQs
directions
- Heat entire contents of the canned green beans. Drain.
- Place butter in the bottom of a serving bowl and add DRAINED green beans, stirring gently until butter is melted.
- Sprinkle with parmesan (and thyme if using)and serve.
- NOTE: This would work equally well on fresh or frozen green beans.
Steaming is a simple way to cook vegetables, and it leaves the flavor and much of the nutrients intact. It's slightly healthier than boiling since fewer nutrients end up in the water. Plus, steaming requires little time and attention. A steamer basket is a great kitchen tool to have on hand.
How long do green beans take to boil? ›
The perfect green bean should be a nice bright green (unless it's the yellow or purple variety), with no blemishes. They should be firm and snap when bent in half. A 3–5 minute boil or steam will cook the beans whilst retaining their crunch.
How to fancy up green beans? ›
Then, I toss the blanched beans with olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and salt to pep up their flavor. Serve them just like that, or dress them up more with toasted almonds or pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, or fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or thyme.
How do you know when fresh green beans are done cooking? ›
Cook the beans for 5 minutes, then start checking them for done-ness. They should be tender but still crisp, without squeaking between your teeth when you chew them. Drain and chill: Drain the beans, then immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Can you cook green beans without blanching them first? ›
Watch How To Make Sautéed Green Beans
Instead of the extra step of blanching the green beans before sautéing, you're cooking these all in 1 pan. Simply add a touch of water and cover to simmer a few minutes.
Why do you rinse beans right before cooking? ›
But if you're someone who needs to watch your sodium intake, it certainly can't hurt to drain and rinse canned beans before using them. Doing so can reduce the sodium by 40%. If you don't want to rinse, consider at least draining them first. Draining alone will “reduce the sodium by a third,” says Reinagel.
How do you steam green beans if you don't have a steamer? ›
Steaming in a Pan
Bring a scant 1/2 inch of salted water to boil in a large frying pan or sauté pan. Add trimmed and cleaned green beans, cover, and cook until the beans are tender to the bite and the water has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes (depending on how crisp you like your cooked green beans).
What is the most efficient way to cook beans? ›
The most reliable method to achieve consistently soft beans in a reasonable amount of time is to (1) soak them overnight in abundant water until they expand and (2) cook them in a pressure cooker. If you don't have a pressure cooker, or even if you do, you may find some of the following additional tricks helpful.
Why are my boiled green beans tough? ›
On a cooking note, regarding tough green beans, you may be undercooking them.
Don't overcook them!
Nothing is worse than a mushy, overcooked green bean. Crisp and slightly tender beans is the goal. To achieve this, taste a bean or two during the cooking process. If it is too crispy for you, keep cooking, testing another green bean in a minute or two.
How long does it take to boil raw beans? ›
Place soaked beans in a large pot; cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until beans are tender but firm. Most beans will cook in 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the variety. Periodically, try a taste test or mash a bean against the side of the pot with a fork or spoon.
Should I cut green beans before boiling? ›
Some green beans come with their stem ends already sliced off – they'll look like they have a flat, cut end. But if the stem ends are still on, snap them off before cooking. For a neater look, line up the ends of the green beans and slice them off on a bias. There's no need to trim the tender shoot on the other end.
How can I make canned beans taste better? ›
It helps, of course, to use good olive oil (and don't be stingy with it—you want the beans really swimming). I also like to add a peeled, smashed clove of garlic, or maybe a bay leaf or a few sprigs of thyme.
How do you enhance the flavor of canned vegetables? ›
Use seasonings
Seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, oregano, and chili powder can be used in different combinations to give your vegetables an extra kick of flavor without adding extra calories.
