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 the beans are 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.
Favorite Green Bean Recipes and 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.
Simply cooked green beans are also a great starting point for larger green bean recipes. You’ll find them in my Creamy Vegan Pasta Salad, Niçoise Salad, Broccoli Pasta Salad, and Chickpea Salad Sandwiches as well as my Green Bean Salad and casserole! In short, 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!
How to Cook Fresh Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans, stemmed
Optional seasoning:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- juice of 1/2 lemon plus 1/2 teaspoon zest
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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.
I love having lighter dishes to balance out the potatoes, rolls and stuffing. As a non-turkey eater, having an assortment of sides is so essential! This recipe looks perfect and so easy!
Theresa
http://www.underhonesttrees.com
This is almost my everyday take on green beans. It goes with anything but isn’t bland!
Looks so beautiful even though it’s so simple – such a perfect side to balance out the heavy meal!
Green beans are not the first vegetable I usually grab in the produce department, and I tend to forget how delicious they can be, especially when dressed simply like this. I think this recipe would be a much more welcome and tastier side than its casserole counterpart. 😉
beautiful, I could fill up on these alone. There are never enough fresh green beans for me.
The last time I made green beans they were kind of tough and I didn’t like them that much. But these look super easy and wonderful!
Hi Heather – look for ones that are as small and thin as you can find – they’re usually more tender and less chewy. Also, if you can find them at your local farmers market, they always taste better 🙂
I have not had green bean casserole in years. I love your fresh and light way to dress these up as an alternative to casserole. There are typically so many heavy foods already on the table this is good to have as an alternative!
Thanks Jeanine! I think maybe the problem was that they were too long and fat, because I even got them fresh from the farmers market! Going to look for thin ones next time.
Yum! I’m always a fan of a simple recipe that involves plenty of lemon!
Simple, delicious green beans are WAY better than a reconstructed casserole, any day! And you have to love that they’re easy and fast too. 🙂
Three of your recipes graced our Thanksgiving table — all new and all wonderful! Thank you from our whole family!
I’m so glad! Which ones were your favorites?
I made the green beans here in this post, the farro/kale/pom salad, and curried sweet potato soup. Beans my favorite, but at least one person raved about all three dishes. I made the soup using turkey stock and subbed Tuscan kale for spinach. So happy to have “discovered” your blog.
Is this meant to be a cold dish? The reason I ask is because the beans are rinsed in cold water and not reheated. Thanks
Hi Teena, it’s a room-temp dish but you can easily just reheat them!
How would you suggest reheating them and still keep the integrity of blanching? I plan to take them to Thanksgiving dinner prepared but would like to heat them up before serving.
Hi Tim, if you blanch them then store them in the fridge, they should stay vibrant green.
Do you have weight watcher’s points for your recipes?
This is oneof my all time favourite simple meals! I do add a little garlic, but thats all I promise!
Bec
http://www.dancingthroughsunday.com.au
simple and perfect!
i did this with broccoli ( the only thing at home) but tomorrow i will try with what chinese called longxudou 龙须豆 something like….asparagus beans. they look like green beans just longer, way longer.
I made this for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and my family LOVED it both times! Super easy and delisiois, my favorite combo. 🙂
This is simple, fresh, pretty and delish.
Thanks
sooo tasty
These green beans are so delicious! Thank you!!!
This has become my go-to “need a vegetable to balance out a heavy meal” recipe. Quick and easy, but way more exciting than the standard side salad.
Hi Ginny, haha, I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the green beans!
I made these today and they are wonderful!! We don’t care for garlic, so I left that out and they were just perfect for our taste.
Would I be able to make these green beans ahead of time (for example make them in the morning, and then serve them in the evening)? If I did this, when would I toss the green beans with the dressing….just before serving or right after boiling them?
Thanks for the lovely recipe!
I have the same question. I need a green veggie to take for Thanksgiving and want something I can cook the day before.
I’ll probably use less garlic but will add some for flavor. Can this be reheated in the microwave at the last minute?
Hi Ruth, yep, you can make this the day before and reheat it in the microwave as you’re ready to serve it.
Such an easy and fresh way to enjoy green beans. As equally delicious as it is fresh.
Meant to say as equally delicious as it is quick. Fresh works too though.
Made this last night & it was delicious. Will definitely be part of the regular rotation!
My husband is diabetic and is going through chemo. He is a very picky eater, he loves green beans. I am excited to try this recipe. Thank you so much
Love the idea of adding something a little on the lighter side for a Thanksgiving dish. I usually will do a simple roasted brussel sprout but I think I will add this to the mix instead!