How to Cook Fresh Green Beans
User Reviews
4.9
How to Cook Fresh Green Beans
Description
This method of cooking green beans starts with trimming stems and boiling them in salted water for 2 minutes to partially cook while retaining firmness. Immediately plunging the beans into ice water halts cooking and helps maintain their vibrant green color and crisp texture.
Once dried, the blanched beans can be eaten as a side or incorporated into other recipes. Tossing with extra virgin olive oil, freshly grated garlic, lemon juice and zest provides a bright, fresh seasoning that enhances the beans without masking their natural flavor. Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt round out the taste.
This method is versatile, producing green beans suitable for cold salads, warm dishes, or simply served plain with simple seasoning. The technique ensures a balance between tender and crunchy, making green beans more enjoyable anytime.
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans stemmed
Optional seasoning:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic grated, clove
- lemon juice of ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- salt sea salt; freshly ground black pepper
- black pepper sea salt; 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.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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