Easy Green Beans with Mushrooms Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I put in my green beans to give them flavor? ›

Soy sauce is one of the easiest answers to how to flavor green beans. You can throw in some of this soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, ginger, and garlic and pan fry until glassy and green and you may never want to eat green beans any other way again.

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.

Add green beans to pan and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add boiling water to pan and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes, just until beans are tender. Add vinegar, butter and salt and pepper and stir.

Dried beans cooked with sea salt and water are delicious, but adding an onion, garlic, or other aromatics to the pot will make them even more flavorful!

Simmer green beans in chicken broth

If you're a fan of the classic green beans flavor, then simmering them in chicken broth is the way to go. The flavor of the chicken broth is absorbed by the beans, giving them a subtle but delicious taste. Plus, you can add cooked onions or bacon for extra flavor.

Blanch Them

Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.

Make sure to blanch the green beans before freezing to preserve their quality. Dry the green beans thoroughly before packaging and freezing. Label the package or container with the date and contents. Use the frozen green beans within 6 to 8 months for best quality.

Butter: A bit of butter adds a rich flavor and helps the seasoning stick to the green beans. Seasoned salt: Buy seasoned salt from the store, or make your own seasoned salt at home.

Your Beans Will Cook Faster

Well, creating an alkaline (or basic) environment by adding a small amount (about 1 teaspoon per cup of dry beans) of baking soda to your soaking/cooking water can actually help your beans cook faster.

French green beans (also called Haricots Verts) are slightly longer and skinnier than regular green beans and may be a little bit more expensive. They are harvested earlier then regular green beans, so they are thought to be more tender and more flavorful.

What makes Italian green beans different? ›

What is the difference between regular and Italian beans? In terms of varieties, string beans or regular beans are long and rounded in shape. Italian, or Romano, are flat and wide with more of a nutty flavor.

Put a pan of salted water on to boil. Meanwhile, trim the the beans. Once the water is boiling, steam or boil the beans until tender. Drain well, then tip the cooked beans into the bowl with your dressing and toss everything together, making sure all the beans get coated.

Heat Butter in a medium or large skillet over medium heat. Add beans and 1/4 cup water to the pan and cook over medium heat 10-14 minutes or until the water has evaporated and the beans are tender. Finish & Season. Sprinkle the beans with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and stir until evenly coated.

It can easily be jazzed up with some onions, fresh garlic, or mushrooms — let your imagination run wild!

Bump up the flavor with tomato paste

Remember your old friend tomato paste? It's great to add into beans. Throw in a dollop or two to the aromatics once they've cooked, and sauté in the hot fat for a minute or two, just to cook out the tinny flavor. Harissa paste also works nicely for this.

Salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, stock, onions, celery, parsley, sage, rosemary, a touch of lemon, a touch of sugar, just about any aromatic herb. Just try one or two of your favorite things and see how you like it. I season beans with onion, celery, garlic, cumin and pepper. You may want to add salt.