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What Is a Green Bean?
Green beans are a type of bean vegetable most commonly sold in American grocery stores. They are long, thin with edible pods containing small seeds. Their average length is 5 inches.
They are very popular and are known by several names: string bean, snap bean and snaps, not to be confused with sugar snap peas.
The term string bean refers to older green bean that develops a tough string along the joined edge as it gets older.
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Green Beans Vs. Haricots Vert
French green beans are called haricots vert or simply French beans. They are most tender, sweeter, and appear thinner and shorter. They are usually about 4-inches long.
There is another similar type of beans called Long Beans, Chinese long beans, Yard Long Beans or Snake Beans. They are a different variety, with an average length of 1 – 1.5 feet.
Green Bean Recipe
Brown butter takes this recipe up a notch. This simple recipe is genius. The brown butter and the almond add a wonderful and nutty flavor to the dish.
This is a quick and easy recipe that I promise you will love and make again and again!
The end result is absolutely delicious and a great way to add greens to your diet, without breaking your bank.
How to Cook Green Beans?
This sauteed recipe has 5 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish.
First, toast the slivered almonds on the skillet lightly. Make the brown butter by adding butter to a cast iron skillet on medium/high heat.
The butter will foam up and then subside. Light brown specs will begin to form at the bottom of the pan.
Add the beans and stir to coat with the browned butter.
Sautéing is the ideal cooking method. The beans keep crisp texture and bright green color. For the seasoning, you just need to use salt and pepper to taste.
What Do You Eat with Green Beans?
This recipe would be wonderful with pasta, chicken, steak, pork or fish.
This recipe could also be a substitute for Thanksgiving or Christmas, if you don’t like them in a casserole. They don’t take up oven space and can be done right before the meal is served.
Cooking Tips
- DO NOT blanch the green beans before sauteing on the skillet.
- You can use Marcona almonds in place of slivered almonds.
- Top with Maldon sea salt right before serving.
- Toss with fresh squeezed lemon juice or lemon zest right before serving for extra flavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is String Bean the Same as Green Bean?
Yes, they are both the same and cultivated from the same bean. They are called differently because string beans are basically older with a tough string attached.
Can I Use Long Beans to Make This Recipe?
Yes, of course. Long beans are longer and have tougher exterior, so you want to cut them up into shorter lengths and cook slightly longer.
What Kind of Butter Should I Use?
Use a good quality unsalted butter, I like Challenge brand butter.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 162 calories per serving.
What to Serve with This Recipe?
For a healthy meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Brown Butter Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup slivered almond
- 1 lb. French green beans (bottom string removed)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 dashes ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter (room temperature, for topping)
- 1 pinch Maldon Sea Salt Flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Heat up a skillet, cast iron preferred, on medium-high heat. Toast the slivered almond for about 1 minute, stirring continuously, until lightly toasted. Set aside.
- Add butter to the skillet. Heat the butter until it bubbles and becomes foamy and turn light brown in color. Add the green beans, stirring continuously until they are just cooked, about 1-2 minutes. Add the toasted almond, salt, black pepper and stir to combine well.
- Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter at the top of the green beans. Garnish with Maldon sea salt flakes and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
This green bean recipe tasted sooooo good.
Do have a question: can I use plant based butter (I use either olive oil or avocado plant based) instead of regular butter.
Thank you
‘Hi Pam, yes you can substitute with plant-based butter, but it won’t be as fragrant and will alter the outcome quite a bit.
Perfect side dish. Quick, Easy, Delicious. My son loved green beans to begin with, this was simply to frosting on the cake.
Love these! Perfect with grilled salmon; u can even use the same fresh lemon on both. Very diet friendly, non-starchy vegetable side dish. thanks!
Another delicious recipe, simple but so nice and easy!
Attach videos of the recipe
I don’t have video for this recipe. It’s very easy to make just read the method.
I ran out of ideas on what to cook? Ijust tried yr Drunken Noodles, taste was good, will continue to try yr recipes. Thank you so much.
Hi Suzanne thanks so much for trying my recipe. Yes, all my recipes are very good, please try more: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/