Have you been given a bag of fresh green beans from a neighbor or friend? How about that basket of freshly picked green beans from the farmer’s market? Green beans are that one vegetable that just about everyone loves to eat.
A few years ago I was standing in line at the grocery store and a woman began a conversation with me about green beans!
She said she was going home to cook up a “mess” of beans for that day’s dinner. She said “everyone just loves my bean.” At that point I just had ask, “how do you fix them?”
She said “two things I always do — I add a little vegetable oil, just a splash, and I always add beef bouillon to the water that I cook them in.” “Really?” I said. “Yep, that is the secret” she proudly said as she trotted off.
I can’t tell you that “everybody” loves my green beans, but I can tell you I think they are wonderful. My sous chef dish-washing mom tells me she really, really likes them and my Chief Bean Eater gobbles them up. That is good enough for me!
Cooking up a mess of fresh green beans allows me to use my imagination adding or subtracting ingredients that the family loves or doesn’t care for.
Whether you use a Blue Lake type bean or Roma Beans like in this picture, this recipe works equally well.
There is no time like summertime for eating fresh vegetables! BTW- if you don’t have fresh green beans this is still a good recipe to liven up canned beans!
Blessings and Happy Vegging,
~Catherine
P.S. Today is my Chief Culinary Consultant’s birthday. Here is what I am making for him!
- Note: Adjust ingredients up or down based on the amount of beans you have.
- 1 lb green beans
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
- 6 strips bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled with 2 tablespoons bacon grease (can substitute 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil)
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth
- ½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (can substitute regular table salt; use ¼ to ½ teaspoon)
- Ground black pepper
- Snap the stem ends of green beans, or cut them off. Rinse beans and set aside.
- Cook bacon crispy and crumble, keeping 1 to 2 tablespoons of grease. If there is more grease than this, just drain it off.
- Add garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Then add green beans and cook for a minute until beans turn bright green. Add the broth, chopped red pepper, salt, and black pepper.
- Turn heat to low and cover with a lid, leaving lid cracked to allow steam to escape. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid evaporates and beans are fairly soft, yet still a bit crisp. You can add more broth during the cooking process, but don’t be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can caramelize.
** BTW- if you don't have fresh green beans this is still a good recipe to liven up canned beans!