To make boiled green beans, simply drop them into salted boiling water and cook them until tender-crisp and not a second longer.
Drain, add some salt and butter, and enjoy! This truly easy side dish is ready in about 20 minutes.
![Boiled green beans are served on a white plate, topped with butter.](https://healthyrecipesblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/boiled-green-beans-1-2022.jpg)
I'm always looking for interesting ways to cook vegetables. I have a large collection of vegetable recipes on this website, but sometimes, the simplest recipes are the best.
Green beans are now in season, and I find that when they are very fresh, the most enjoyable way to savor them is to simply boil them in salted water until tender-crisp. I then sprinkle them with kosher salt. That's it!
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Ingredients
The list of ingredients needed for this recipe is delightfully short - you'll only need three of them! The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Fresh green beans: In this particular recipe, I'm using standard green beans, not the ultra-thin French haricot vert. I don't recommend using frozen beans in this recipe.
Kosher salt: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Butter: I love using creamy European butter, but any butter will be great. And I often don't use it at all! When not overcooked, these beans are delicious with just salt.
Variations
You can vary this recipe by adding more seasonings to the cooked green beans. Good candidates include garlic granules (or powder) and dried thyme - use a generous pinch of each.
You can also sprinkle the cooked beans with dry-grated parmesan or bacon bits for extra flavor.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
You start by trimming the ends of the beans. You can leave them whole or cut them into three-inch pieces. Now, drop the beans into salted boiling water. Cook them for about 5 minutes.
Drain the beans and season them with salt.
Serve them topped with butter.
Expert Tip
It's important that the green beans remain firm - soft and limp will not do! So, take care not to overcook them. When properly cooked, they are so inherently tasty, that the only seasoning they need is some coarse kosher salt and maybe a pat of butter.
Recipe FAQs
While I do like to roast green beans in the oven, my favorite method is to briefly boil them in water. As long as they're not overcooked, they emerge from the water wonderfully tender-crisp and fresh tasting.
I don't recommend that. Fresh green beans are so much better in terms of flavor and texture. I've got nothing against frozen veggies - they have their place and I use them often - just not in this recipe.
French green beans, or haricot verts, are longer and thinner and will require an even shorter cooking time. So, start checking on them after just three minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Boiled green beans are such a versatile side dish. They go with anything, really. I often serve them with one of the following main dishes:
- Ribeye roast
- Baked pork chops
- Shrimp scampi
- Baked chicken thighs
- Pan-fried salmon, as shown in the photo below:
Sometimes, I top them with a couple of poached eggs for an easy and delicious meatless dinner.
In fact, when green beans are fresh and crisp, they make not just a great side dish, but a wonderful snack that you can serve and eat as finger food, and get that peculiar satisfaction that we humans get when we eat something crunchy and salty.
Storing Leftovers
Although they taste best when freshly cooked, you can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.
Reheat them gently, in the microwave at 50% power. Or chop them and add them cold to a salad. Sometimes, I replace the asparagus in this asparagus salad with leftover green beans.
More Green Bean Recipes
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Recipe Card
Simple Boiled Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans ends trimmed
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt divided, or 1 teaspoon, divided, of any other salt
- 1 tablespoon butter optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Drop the green beans into the boiling water. Bring back to a full boil and cook, uncovered, until the beans are just tender, about 5 minutes. But start checking after 3 minutes (use a fork to take one out of the pot and taste. Careful - they'll be hot!).Â
- Drain the green beans into a colander, shake them dry, and season with kosher salt.
- Serve immediately. You can use other seasonings, and a generous pat of butter on top of the hot green beans is heavenly. But really, when they are fresh, they only need brief boiling and some salt.
Video
Notes
- Before cooking, pick through the green beans and discard any that are withered or discolored. This simple cooking method is suitable for only the freshest of beans.
- I prefer to leave green beans whole - they make a great finger food when left at their full length. But to serve at dinner, you might want to cut them into 3-inch pieces.
- It's important that the beans remain firm - soft and limp will not do. So take care not to overcook them. When properly cooked, they are so inherently tasty that the only seasoning they need is some coarse kosher salt and maybe a pat of butter.
- Although they taste best when freshly cooked, you can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently, in the microwave, at 50% power. Or chop them and add them cold to a salad.Â
- The nutrition info is for the green beans and the salt sprinkled on them after cooking. It does not include the butter or the salt added to the cooking water.Â
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Josephine
I used to overcook green beans - no wonder I didn't like them! Thank you, Vered, for teaching me how to cook them properly.
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Josephine!
D E Scott
This is the first time this year that I bought fresh green beans, and I wanted them to come out perfect. I followed the recipe and the green beans were delicious.
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for your feedback.