You deserve more than plain and boring vegetables! These lemon butter green beans add a bit of jazz to a classic side dish. The zesty lemon slices pair perfectly with fresh and crisp green beans in this simple but tasty dish.
These beans will pair nicely with our Vegan Alfredo Sauce!
Learning to love green beans hasn’t always been easy for me. My mind still goes to the overcooked and under-salted mush from my university cafeteria. Green beans are still not a vegetable I normally choose for our family dinners.
But I have had enough green beans to know that there are better versions out there. Fresh green beans, especially when in season, can be dressed up in all sorts of delicious ways. They are especially good with lemon and garlic, like in this lemon butter green beans recipe.
Lemon Butter Sauce
The magic in this recipe comes from the lemon butter. The lemon with a bit of added garlic brings a bit of zing to the beans. The butter adds a decedent creaminess to the sauce.
The best part is that the sauce is incredibly simple to make, and can be used in other recipes as well. Start by sautéing the garlic over low heat for a few minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. Once done add a squeeze of lemon juice with a couple of lemon slices and the butter. Give it all a stir to combine, and you are done!
Recipe Tips for Lemon Butter Green Beans
- Use fine green beans, sometimes called French green beans, as they are more tender and will provide better results in this recipe. Fresh, in-season beans will always provide the best results.
- Once the green beans are parboiled for 4-5 minutes, drain and plunge them immediately into ice water. This cools them down so they do not continue cooking and maintains the vivid green colour.
- When cooking the garlic, be very careful not to burn. Burnt garlic has an unpleasant flavour that will not go well in this dish.
- An easy twist on this recipe is to add a sprinkling of hard cheese. Vegetarian parmesan is a great choice.
If you are looking for more side dish ideas, try this Lentil Salad with Fava Beans and Feta!
Lemon Butter Green Beans
You deserve more than plain and boring vegetables! These lemon butter green beans add a bit of jazz to a classic side dish. The zesty lemon slices pair perfectly with fresh and crisp green beans in this simple but tasty dish.
Ingredients
- ½ lbs green beans washed and trimmed
- 2-3 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1.5 lemons
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim the ends off the green beans and wash them well. Parboil for 4-5 minutes.
- Heat a frying pan over low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter, and sauté minced garlic for 30 seconds. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon along with a few lemon slices and the remaining butter.
- Drain the green beans and plunge them immediately in ice water. This will preserve the colour. Add them to the frying pan with the lemon butter and garlic sauce and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for a few minutes until they are the desired doneness. This will take approximately 5 minutes for beans with a slight bite to them, while cooking longer will produce softer beans. Serve immediately.
Notes
Any green beans will work for this recipe but you will get the best results from French green beans.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 123Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 142mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g
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