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    Delmarvalicious Dishes » Recipes

    Easy and Fresh Green Beans Side Dish (for a crowd)

    Published: Mar 27, 2024 · Modified: Feb 13, 2025 by Lynne Kenton · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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    Easy and Fresh Green Beans are a perfect side dish to feed a crowd! This simple recipe uses fresh beans not canned beans and is cooked on the stove for a delicious vegetable side dish. 

    Easy green beans that will feed a crowd topped with cherry tomatoes and bacon.

    Green beans are a family favorite. They appear on the dinner table at all major holidays. The problem is that most times we have green bean casserole. These beans are mushy, come from a can, are drenched in creamy soups, brown sugar or cheese. I was inspired to make this fresh green bean side dish as a healthy option that also highlights the freshness of the green bean. 

    Hosting can be hard! If you need another recipe that is a crowd pleaser, try Pineapple Baked Beans. These baked beans are so flavorful and use a variety of beans. They are the perfect side dish for summer barbeques. You can also never go wrong with pasta salad, especially a pasta salad that uses the best of summer produce! Try this Roasted Tomato and Corn Pasta Salad for an easy pasta that goes well at any gathering. 

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions and Variations
    • Step by Step Instructions
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • FAQ
    • Related
    • Pairing
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • In less than 20 minutes, you can make a fresh side dish that is simple and healthy. 
    • These green beans have a crunch as opposed to canned green beans. 
    • You can taste the mildly sweet freshness of the beans. 
    • This fresh green bean recipe cooks on the stovetop saving valuable oven space. 

    Ingredients

    These basic ingredients can be found at your local grocery store.

    Easy green bean ingredients including: white onion, garlic cloves, bacon, lemon, cherry tomatoes, green beans, butter and salt.

    • Fresh green beans are used to keep this recipe as fresh as possible. 
    • The beans, white onions and garlic are cooked in salted butter. 
    • Lemon juice and cherry tomatoes add extra color and flavor pops in this recipe. 
    • Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes season the beans. 
    • Don't forget about the bacon! Cooked bacon gives the green beans some extra crunch with a salty flavor. 

    See below recipe card for exact measurements.

    Substitutions and Variations

    • For a healthier option, substitute some or all of the butter with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 
    • Substitute the white onion with a sweet yellow onion. 
    • Adjust the amount of onion and garlic to your taste preferences. For more garlickly green beans, add extra garlic cloves! 
    • Substitute garlic cloves with garlic powder. 
    • Use bacon bits in place of fresh bacon. Or, eliminate the bacon all together to keep this a vegetarian side dish. 

    Step by Step Instructions

    Blanching green beans in a large pot.

    Step 1: Begin by blanching the green beans. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for 2 minutes. 

    Green beans in an ice bath.

    Step 2: Remove green beans from water and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice to stop the cooking process. 

    Green beans sauting in butter with onions and garlic.

    Step 3: Add butter to a large sauté pan over medium heat. When butter is melted, add green beans, white onions and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and red chili flakes. Cook for 5-10 minutes stirring often. 

    Cherry tomatoes cooking with green beans.

    Step 4: Turn heat down to medium low. Add cherry tomatoes, lemon juice and chopped, crispy bacon. Stir together until tomatoes begin to wither about 2-3 minutes. Serve green beans warm with a little butter and lemon zest.

    Storage

    Refrigerate any leftover green beans in an airtight container. Green beans can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove top. Leftover green beans can also be used in a salad or a stir fry. 

    Top tip

    Stay close to the green beans as they are cooking on the stove top. Cooking times can vary. Cook until the onions are soft and the green beans remain crunchy. Be sure to give the green beans a good stir throughout the cooking process. 

    FAQ

    How can I make these green beans ahead of time?

    Take these steps in order to prepare green beans ahead of time: 
    1. Blanch green beans.
    2. After the ice bath, dry green beans with paper towels and refrigerate. 
    3. Chop the onions, garlic and bacon. Store in refrigerator.
    Follow the instructions beginning when at the sauté point. This is the best way to prepare the green beans ahead of time and is especially helpful when cooking for a crowd! 

    Why do I need to blanche the green beans first?

    Blanching the green beans before sautéing allows the green beans to cook from the inside out. It makes the green beans crispy and is a great way to bring out the bright green color. Be sure to not skip on the ice bath after blanching. This stops the cooking process and keeps the green beans crunchy.


    What is the difference between regular green beans and French green beans? 

    French green beans, also known as haricot verts, are thinner than regular green beans. These tender green beans are slightly more expensive than regular green beans. 

    How can I use leftover green beans?

    Use leftover green beans in a green bean salad or a stir fry. These beans could also be added to a quiche for a healthy breakfast. 

    Related

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • Roasted Indian Cauliflower (Easy Air Fryer Recipe)
    • A delicious bowl of Roasted Tomato and Corn Pasta Salad
      Roasted Tomato and Corn Pasta Salad
    • Pineapple Baked Beans in a bowl with corn bread and pan of baked beans
      Pineapple Baked Beans (Using Black Beans)
    • Close up shot of chickpeas, diced tomatoes and chorizo in a bowl over rice
      Frito Chickpeas with Chorizo Recipe (One Pot Meal)

    Pairing

    These are my favorite dishes to serve with green beans:

    • Tray of air fryer chicken tenders with sauces.
      Naked Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (Tysons Chicken) 
    • Gluten Free Chicken Salad on Lettuce Wraps with Red Grapes
      Classic Chicken Salad (Gluten Free)
    • Two pulled chicken sandwiches stacked on top of each other with Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce and a beer.
      Jack Daniel's Pulled BBQ Chicken (Crockpot Recipe)
    • A tray of 5 ingredient meatless baked ziti, a Kraft copycat recipe
      5 Ingredient Meatless Baked Ziti (Kraft Copycat Recipe)

    📖 Recipe

    A saute pan full of cooked, bright green beans with cherry tomatoes and topped with bacon.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Easy and Fresh Green Beans Side Dish (for a crowd)

    Easy and Fresh Green Beans are a perfect side dish to feed a crowd! This simple recipe uses fresh beans not canned beans and is cooked on the stove for a delicious vegetable side dish. 
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time15 minutes mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 98kcal
    Author: Lynne Kenton

    Equipment

    • Large Pot
    • Large Bowl
    • Saute Pan

    Ingredients

    • 1 lbs Fresh Green Beans ends trimmed
    • 2 tablespoon Salted Butter
    • ½ White Onion Sliced
    • 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
    • Salt and Black Pepper
    • Red Pepper Flakes
    • ½ Juiced Lemon
    • 2 Slices of Bacon Cooked
    • 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes Halved
    • Ice Cubes for blanching

    Instructions

    • Bring a large pot of salted water to a roaring boil.
    • Add green beans and let boil for 2 minutes. Immediately, remove green beans and place green beans in iced water.
    • Add butter to a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and green beans. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the onions are soft.
    • Add lemon juice, red pepper flakes and chopped bacon. Serve warm.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 6g | Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 763IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Comments

    1. Morgan Perry says

      April 18, 2024 at 1:10 am

      5 stars
      This is the best weeknight veggie recipe! These green beans are guilt free and restaurant quality. I love making a big batch of these at a time to have leftovers throughout a busy week. They’re perfect to serve for a crowd or enjoy with a cozy meal at home.

      Reply
      • Lynne Kenton says

        April 18, 2024 at 3:30 pm

        Thank you for the review! I am so happy you enjoyed them 🙂

        Reply

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    Lynne Kenton of Delmarvalicious Dishes with ice cream cone

    Hi, I am Lynne and I am happy you are here! I love being in the kitchen welcoming friends and family. At Delmarvalicious Dishes, you will find simple meals, handheld snacks and a mix of coffee and cocktails!

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