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You only need 4 ingredients and less than 20 minutes for this Amish Green Bean Recipe with Brown Butter! The quick and easy side dish is a perfect way to enjoy fresh green beans while they’re bountiful and inexpensive at the markets this season.
Green Bean Recipe
Some of the best ideas are inspired by necessity, and this fresh green bean recipe is no exception. I first prepared the Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter on a whim after bringing home a bag of string beans from the farmer’s market earlier this year, and they are now a staple in our weekly meal plan. You just can’t beat the ease of a quick side dish that everyone loves!
Amish Fresh Green Bean Recipes:
I learned about the technique for pairing brown butter with fresh vegetables from a Brussels sprouts recipe in Susan Loomis’s Farmhouse Cookbook. According to Loomis, the Amish traditionally pour brown butter over cooked vegetables as a simple way to make the most of their fresh-from-the-garden produce. Why not use the same treatment for fresh green bean recipes?! Here, garlic and lemon juice add extra layers of flavor and dimension to the dish. You won’t believe how just a handful of very basic ingredients can come together in such a rich, flavorful way.
How to make an Amish Green Bean Recipe with Brown Butter:
These tasty green beans only require a few minutes from start to finish. Enjoy them year-round, but especially between May and October when you’re likely to find delicious fresh string beans at a great price in the local markets.
Green Bean Recipe Ingredients:
- Green beans
- Butter
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
Step 1: Boil Green Beans
We’re not going to boil the green beans to death for this recipe. Instead, you’ll just blanch the string beans in a large pot of well-salted boiling water for about 2 minutes. Pull them out when they’re still crisp-tender (you will cook them a little bit more in the skillet later).
Step 2: Shock Green Beans in Ice Water
Immediately transfer the green beans from the boiling water to a bowl of ice water. This will shock the beans and stop the cooking process so that they maintain that beautiful bright green color.
Step 3: Cook Butter and Garlic in Skillet
Meanwhile, cook the butter and garlic in a skillet until the garlic turns a dark gold color. Don’t let it burn, or you’ll have to start all over!
Step 4: Add Lemon Juice and Green Beans
Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic from the butter so that you’re left with a garlic-infused brown butter. Then add the lemon juice and green beans to the skillet.
Step 5: Sauté Green Beans
Finish off the sauteed green beans by cooking and stirring the beans in the butter and lemon juice until warmed through — about 5 more minutes. Then season with salt and pepper and serve!
What to serve with Green Beans:
This versatile green bean recipe pairs nicely with just about any entree. Here are a few meals that will go well with the vegetable side dish:
- Grilled Chicken
- Baked Salmon or Grilled Salmon
- Lemon Garlic Herb Grilled Shrimp
- Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta
- Roasted Honey Mustard Chicken
- Beef Shish Kabobs
- Grilled Steak
- Lemon Chicken Piccata
- Oven BBQ Chicken Breast
- 4-Ingredient Pork Loin Roast
- Crispy Southern Fried Catfish
- Southern Bourbon-Glazed Beef Tenderloin Recipe
- Virginia Brown Sugar Baked Ham
- Shrimp and Grits
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Preparation and Storage Tips:
- Trimming fresh green beans can be a hassle. One tip to speed up the process: line all of the beans up in an even row on a cutting board and then slice through all of the beans at once with a long knife. Then flip the beans around, line up the other set of ends, and repeat!
- Leftover cooked green beans will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- You can freeze the cooked green beans in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Just be aware that the vegetables will have a mushier, more watery texture when thawed.
- To reheat the green beans: Place the beans in a skillet and warm over low heat. Alternatively, you can place a serving of green beans in a microwave-safe dish and cook (covered) for about 1 minute (or until heated through).
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Keep a close eye on the butter and garlic as they cook in the skillet. Brown butter only takes a few minutes to make, and the garlic can burn quickly if you’re not stirring.
- For a stronger lemon flavor, garnish the green beans with lemon zest just before serving.
- You can use frozen or even canned green beans for this recipe, too.
- Cooking for a larger family? I recommend doubling all of the ingredients and preparing two pounds of green beans in brown butter.
- Add fresh herbs for even more flavor. In the summer, fresh basil, thyme, oregano or rosemary would all be delicious in this dish.
- You can’t beat the combination of green beans with bacon! Feel free to add a few slices of cooked, chopped bacon to the sauteed green beans.
- Some toasted nuts on top would also be a great garnish for added crunch. Try walnuts, pecans or almonds.
More green bean recipes that you might enjoy:
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon {great for canned or frozen green beans!}
- Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
- Southern Green Bean Recipe
- Green Bean Salad
Amish Green Bean Recipe with Brown Butter
Ingredients
- 1 lb. green beans, ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Blanch green beans in a large pot of well salted boiling water until bright green in color and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and shock in a bowl of ice water to stop from cooking.
- Meanwhile, combine butter and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. When the garlic begins to turn dark gold, remove it with a slotted spoon and discard. Stir the lemon juice and the blanched green beans into the butter. Continue to sauté until green beans are coated in the butter and heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Keep a close eye on the butter and garlic as they cook in the skillet. Brown butter only takes a few minutes to make, and the garlic can burn quickly if you’re not stirring.
- For a stronger lemon flavor, garnish the green beans with lemon zest just before serving.
- You can use frozen or even canned green beans for this recipe, too.
- Cooking for a larger family? I recommend doubling all of the ingredients and preparing two pounds of green beans in brown butter.
- Add fresh herbs for even more flavor. In the summer, fresh basil, thyme, oregano or rosemary would all be delicious in this dish.
- You can’t beat the combination of green beans with bacon! Feel free to add a few slices of cooked, chopped bacon to the sauteed green beans.
- Some toasted nuts on top would also be a great garnish for added crunch. Try walnuts, pecans or almonds.
These are very good. I did add a little raw honey at the end. It goes fast so be prepared by having everything ready to go. Will definitely be cooking again and again. Thank you!
Thanks, Jane!
This recipe turned out great! I used frozen green beans which I have trouble cooking but they worked perfectly!
Thank you, Sarah! We’re happy to hear it worked out well!