Game-Changing Green Bean Recipes

February 13, 2011
These fresh legumes couldn't be more versatile in the kitchen. Use them to add crunch and color to salads, stir-fries, pastas, casseroles, and so much more. Click through for our best recipes featuring green beans, as well as tips for selecting and storing them.
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Green Bean Basics

Green beans are super easy to incorporate into everything from side dishes to main courses. Also called string beans, green beans are made up of small seeds encased in long pods. Because beans are harvested while still young, the pods are tender and edible.

In Season: Green beans are available year-round with a peak season of May to October.

What to Look For: It's best to buy green beans that are sold loose rather than in packages so you can pick the freshest ones. They should be crisp and bright green without blemishes or signs of wilting. For even cooking, choose beans that are of similar size.

How to Store: Although they taste best if used right away, green beans can be refrigerated in a sealed plastic bag for up to five days.

How to Prep: Rinse the beans under cold water, then trim the stem end by snapping it off with your fingers or cutting with a paring knife. You can trim the other end if you like, but it's not necessary.

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Quick-Cooked Green Beans with Lemon

Bryan Gardner
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A great make-ahead recipe, these lemon-spiked green beans taste best at room temperature. They're the perfect side dish for any potluck, picnic, or buffet. So are these Stunning Sides That Might Just Steal the Show.

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Green Bean Casserole with Bacon

Martyna Szczesna
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Who says you can only make this comforting dish at Thanksgiving? Our bacon version is too delicious to indulge in only one day out of the year.

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Pasta Salad with Peas and Summer Beans

Bryan Gardner
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Jazz up whole-wheat penne with green beans, wax beans, peas, cilantro, and a punchy garlic-lime dressing in this easy make-ahead side dish.

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Delhi-Style Green Beans

Jake Stangel
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Fresh ginger, fiery green chiles, and a host of spices -- asafetida, cumin, and coriander -- flavor this green bean dish known as sem ki sabzi. It's just one of Madhur Jaffery's Easy, Healthy Indian Recipes.

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Green Bean, Shell Bean, and Sweet Onion Fattoush

NGOC MINH NGO
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Our take on the Middle Eastern bread-and-vegetable salad known as fattoush calls for green beans, shell beans, Vidalia onion, English cucumber, crumbled feta, fresh mint and parsley, and grilled pita. A lemon-garlic vinaigrette ties all the flavors together beautifully.

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Dry-Fried Green Beans

John Kernick
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It takes just a few minutes over high heat to transform green beans into crisp-tender, blistered beauties.

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Buttered Green Beans with Shallots and Lemon

Anna Williams
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Brown butter, crispy fried shallots, and a squeeze of lemon set this simple green-bean side dish apart.

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Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes

Aya Brackett
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Green beans are simmered with broth, onion, tomatoes, and fresh oregano in this easy vegan side dish.

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Spicy Pickled Green Beans

Johnny Miller
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Fresh green beans take on a sweet and spicy tang in this batch of quick pickles that will keep in the fridge for up to a month.

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Potato Salad with Green Beans and Ricotta

Johnny Miller
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Forget mayo! Fresh ricotta, dill, and lemon zest and juice make an unforgettable potato salad, while green beans add the perfect amount of crunch. If you prefer a non-creamy potato salad, try our Potato and Green Bean Salad that relies on grainy mustard, lemon juice, and fresh thyme for its big flavor.

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Chopped Green Bean and Celery Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

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White-wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey flavor tender green beans and crisp celery, an ideal sidekick to fried chicken or grilled steak.

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Green Beans with Hazelnuts and Gorgonzola

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In this easy-but-sophisticated side dish, Gorgonzola's rich, creamy texture offers a nice counterpoint to crunchy hazelnuts and tangy sherry vinegar.

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Green Beans with Ginger and Tomatoes

John Kernick
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Ginger, coriander, tomatoes, and fresh lime juice are all you need to take green beans from ho hum to flavor-packed.

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Quinoa and Green Bean Salad

Krause, Johansen
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Gussy up everyone's favorite superfood with sauteed onion and garlic, crisp-tender green beans, fresh parsley, and a tangy red-wine vinaigrette.

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Green Beans with Potatoes and Ham

Marcus Nilsson
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Green beans are added last to this flavorful braised ham hock-and-potato dish so that they're just tender.

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Green Beans with Parsnips and Pickled Red Onions

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Green beans and parsnips are cooked in the same pot until crisp-tender, then paired with quick-pickled onions and a red wine vinegar-mustard dressing in this easy, colorful side dish.

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Green Bean Casserole

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This from-scratch version of the family favorite calls for fresh green beans, a creamy homemade mushroom sauce, and a flavorful topping of crisp fried shallots.

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Green Beans with Tomatoes, Olives, and Eggs

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This hearty Mediterranean side dish takes its inspiration from salade Nicoise. Serve with grilled tuna, salmon, or chicken.

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Green Beans with Spiced Breadcrumbs

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Paprika and cayenne add a kick to the crunchy breadcrumb topping on simple steamed green beans. You can also transform pita into seasoned breadcrumbs for our Crispy Green Beans.

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Raw Tomato and Green Bean Pasta

Andrew Purcell
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Colorful, crunchy, creamy, and sweet, this pasta is delicious warm or at room temperature -- great for a picnic.

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Green Beans with Olives

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Mild-mannered green beans get a new lease on life when tossed with an intensely savory dressing of green olives, parsley, anchovies, and red-wine vinegar.

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Green Beans with Sauteed Mushrooms and Garlic

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Coriander, white wine, and sherry vinegar punch up this fabulous all-purpose side dish.

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Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Tarragon

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Golden brown caramelized onions amplify the flavors in this perfect-for-entertaining, room-temperature side dish. Making it even easier for the host, you can trim the green beans and caramelize the onions a day in advance.

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Green Bean, Ham, and Cheese Frittata

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Green beans for breakfast? You’ll be a believer when you try this easy, flavorful frittata.

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Stewed Green Beans with Bacon

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This side dish of green beans stewed in chicken broth and speckled with bacon will make everyone want to eat their vegetables.

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