My Sautéed Green Beans are so quick and easy to whip up, and they taste amazing! Make these with fresh or frozen green beans for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any time you want some greens on your plate.
1poundfresh green beanstrimmed, (OR 1 pound frozen, not defrosted)
1tablespoonoil
1onionchopped
2clovesgarlicminced
salt & pepperto taste
½tablespoonbutter
1teaspoonmustard(I like whole grain Dijon here) and ½ tablespoon lemon juice; optional
Instructions
Blanch green beans (see notes):Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl with ice cold water.
Sauté:Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add the beans, season with salt and pepper and sauté until softened to your taste, about 5 minutes.
Season:Stir in the butter mustard and lemon juice (if using). Check for seasoning and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Cooking Tips:
Trimming the green beans: If you're using fresh beans, use kitchen shears to trim them in bunches. So much faster and easier than doing it with a knife!Blanching the green beans: Blanching helps the beans to retain their color. You can sauté green beans without blanching - so just skip it if you're OK with crisper beans.Sautéing: Make sure to use medium heat, or the beans will blacken on the outside and stay too firm on the inside.Seasoning: Our favorites are a pat of butter, some lemon juice and mustard – but feel free to adjust this according to your taste!
Ingredient Notes:
Green beans: Either use fresh ones, or use frozen. I always blanch frozen ones to flash-defrost them. If you sauté from frozen, they release a lot of water and tend to come out soggy.Onion and garlic: If you don't have these fresh on hand, you can use ½ teaspoon of onion powder and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder instead.Mustard: If you’re not a fan of mustard, just leave it out.Butter: Can just use olive oil instead.Extras: Feel free to add chopped bacon to the garlic and onion for extra flavor and deliciousness. You can also sprinkle fried onions over the top in the end.
How to use leftovers:
If you have leftovers after a big holiday meal, just cover and refrigerate the beans for up to 2 days.