Green Beans

Phaseolus vulgaris

Often called green beans or snap beans in America, string beans are one of the most common garden vegetables in the United States. String beans come in many forms—some 130 in all—ranging from the petite, delicately flavored French variety called haricot verts to the broader, meaty Italian specimens. String beans are divided into two categories: bush beans, which have a long, slender, rounded pod, and pole beans, which are usually large and quite flat.

Decades ago, string beans were named for the tough fibers that ran from one tip to the other. Although these strings have long been bred out of most varieties, the moniker has stuck. The pods of these beans can be green, yellow (referred to as wax beans), purple, red, or streaked. String beans are actually immature seeds and pods; if left on the bush, the seeds swell and the pods become too fibrous to eat. However, they do not mature to become “shell” beans; string beans are bred specifically for their youthful succulence and tenderness and are meant to be eaten pods and all.

History

The haricot bean (which includes string beans) had long been a domesticated staple in Central and South American Indian diets by the time Columbus arrived and introduced the vegetable to Europe. Seeds have been found in Peru with a radiocarbon dating of nearly 8,000 years ago. Precisely when humans began consuming the immature, green pods is impossible to know, but the modern, truly stringless varieties have been bred only within the past 100 years.

Nutrition

Like most vegetables, green beans are low in calories (43 per cup) but pack lots of fiber and nutrients. A cup’s worth provides about 25 percent of your daily supply of vitamin K and 20 percent of vitamin C, as well as manganese, vitamin A, potassium, and folate.

Season

Commercially, string beans are widely grown and available year-round. But their peak season at farmers markets and CSAs is during the summer and early fall months.

Selection

Look for beans that are firm, crisp, velvety to touch, and not too swollen, which may indicate that the beans inside are getting too mature to be at their tastiest. Supermarket green beans are often dehydrated or old; watch out for pods that are limp toward their ends, are starting to shrivel, or are easily bendable. Such beans often have little gustatory or nutritive value. Also beware of beans that are overly large, or worse yet, whose pods have a rough, spongy texture.

Storage

Refrigerate unwashed beans in a paper or perforated plastic bag in a warmer section of the refrigerator. Use within 2 or 3 days. If they start to wilt, soaking in ice water may rehydrate them.

Trimming and Cleaning

Wash the beans in cool water. “Top and tail” them (snap off the top stem ends and bottom curved tips). With modern varieties, no destringing is necessary.

Steaming and Boiling

Boil green beans in several quarts of salted water until they turn just tender and have lost their raw taste, 6 to 8 minutes. Steam green beans over rapidly boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender.

Stir-Frying and Sautéing

Green beans are delicious stir-fried or sautéed for 7 to 10 minutes on medium-high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Be sure to add some oil to the pan (plus, perhaps, a few tablespoons of water or stock at the beginning of sautéing), or they will stick. In the last couple of minutes of cooking, toss with soy sauce or sesame oil.

Baking and Roasting

When preparing green beans in the oven, make sure they are topped with or immersed in other ingredients, so they do not dry out. If you want to roast just the beans, drizzle them with a nut oil or dressing of your choice and roast them for 20 to 25 minutes in a 425°F oven. They’ll brown slightly and take on a rich flavor.

Microwaving

Cut or snap beans into 1-inch pieces, then place them in a microwave-safe dish; add ¼ cup water; cover and cook on high power.

• 1 cup = 3 minutes
• 1 pound = 7 to 12 minutes

Blanching and Freezing

Blanch green beans in salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are crisp-tender. Drain, then plunge them into ice water for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process. Remove and drain. Package them in zipper-lock freezer or vacuum food sealer-type bags, or freezer containers. Squeeze out any excess air and leave ½ inch of headspace (unless you are using the vacuum sealing method). Frozen green beans will keep for up to 6 months at 0°F. Rubbery green beans, when thawed, often mean they were past their prime to begin with or were cooked too long.

Equivalents, Measures, and Servings

• 1 pound = 3½ cups whole = 4 cups cut into 1-inch pieces = 3 to 4 servings

Complementary Herbs, Seasonings, and Foods

Almonds, artichokes, asparagus, bacon, basil, béchamel sauce, butter, cheese (Parmesan, feta, goat), chicory, chiles, cream, crème fraîche, curry, dill, garlic, green garlic, ham, hazelnuts, hazelnut oil, lamb, leeks, lemons, marjoram, mint, mushrooms, mustard, nutmeg, nuts, olive oil, onions, orange, oregano, parsley, pine nuts, prosciutto, rosemary, shallots, soy sauce, tarragon, tomatoes, tuna, vinegar, walnuts, walnut oil, Worcestershire sauce.

Serving Suggestions

• Toss freshly boiled or steamed green beans with soy sauce, sesame oil, extra-virgin olive oil, pesto, lemon juice, Italian dressing, or vinaigrette.
• Munch raw beans with various dips. Kids like these as a finger food!
• Sprinkle chopped fresh herbs over steamed or boiled green beans; dill or mint are pleasant surprises with green beans.
• Stir-fry or sauté green beans with a mixture of peanut or sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, garlic, ginger, chili paste, sugar, salt, and pepper for Szechuan-style beans.
• Drop a handful into stir-fries at the last minute to add flavor and crunch. (This works best with young, tender beans.)
• Serve salade niçoise, that hearty, traditional cold salad with tuna, hardboiled eggs, olives, and green beans. There’s nothing better for supper on a warm summer evening.
• Treat your string beans as you would southern-style greens—cook them slowly in lots of water with a ham hock or piece of pork fatback, and finish off with a dose of vinegar and a dash of hot pepper sauce.
• Add interest to cooked green beans by tossing them with a light vinaigrette and slivered almonds or chopped hazelnuts.
• Create a colorful vegetable julienne with green and yellow string beans, carrot strips, golden beets, and red or orange bell pepper strips steamed or boiled briefly.
• Pickle green beans for a crunchy, juicy change from regular cuke pickles.
• Green beans go well with just about every sort of nut and nut oil. Try ’em with walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, and macadamias. They’re also great with dried fruits like cranberries and cherries.
• Remember the old green-bean casserole standby? You know, green beans with a can of cream of mushroom soup poured over them, and crisp-fried onions sprinkled on top? Don’t be ashamed to admit you like it!

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Creamy Green Bean and Mushroom Soup

Serves 8

2½ cups finely chopped onion
5 tablespoons butter
1 pound mushrooms, diced
⅓ cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
6 cups vegetable stock
1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1¼ cups heavy cream
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Fried Shallots

⅓ cup flour
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shallots, thinly sliced and separated
1 cup vegetable oil

1. Prepare the soup: In a large stockpot, sauté the onion and butter for 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms, flour, and paprika, and stir until the butter is absorbed.
2. Add the vegetable stock and green beans, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer 10 minutes, or until the beans are tender.
3. Add the heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, and black and cayenne pepper. Heat through, and adjust the seasonings to taste.
4. Prepare the fried shallots: Toss the flour, paprika, salt, and black pepper with the shallots to coat. Remove the shallots from the mixture, shaking off excess flour. Fry in hot oil in a skillet until crisp and golden brown. Then drain the shallots on a paper towel.
5. Top the soup with the fried shallots, and serve.

— Blue Heron Coffeehouse, The Bluff Country Co-op Cookbook

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Salade Niçoise

Serves 4

Source Note: Do not toss this salad; it should look arranged. This Riviera favorite goes best with vinaigrette dressing. You don’t have to cook much—just boil the eggs and potatoes and steam the green beans (or pick them up at a salad bar for a no-cook meal). Then open a can and a couple of jars, chop, stir, assemble, and it’s done. It’s a fun finger-food meal for kids too! Serve with good sliced French bread, warmed or toasted, and maybe even a chilled dry rosé wine.

½ pound green string beans
4 small red or white potatoes
1 head Boston or red leaf lettuce
1 (6-ounce) can albacore or other high-quality tuna, drained
3 to 4 tomatoes, quartered, or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 to 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
1 green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin rings
16 to 20 herbed black olives (Niçoise olives are the classic choice)
2 tablespoons capers
8 anchovy fillets (optional)

Salade Niçoise Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of fresh tarragon or basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Steam the string beans until just crisp-tender. Cool them quickly in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then trim as needed.
2. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 6 minutes, or until fork-tender.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking until the mixture is well-blended.
4. Peel the cooked potatoes, if desired, and cut into ¼-inch slices while still very warm. Douse with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and allow to cool.
5. Thoroughly wash and spin-dry the lettuce. Place in a large bowl, add 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette, and toss lightly.
6. Place the lettuce on a platter. Arrange the string beans, potatoes, tuna, tomatoes, eggs, and bell pepper on top of the greens in a decorative fashion. Sprinkle the olives, capers, and anchovies over the salad, drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette, and serve.

— Fooddownunder.com

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Delicious Green Beans

Serves 4

Source Note: Don’t underestimate this simple dish; it’s easy and quick but positively bursting with flavor. It’s light yet flavorful, and it makes a great side for almost any meal. It can be served warm or cold.

2 pounds green beans, washed, ends trimmed off
¼ cup butter
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Salt to taste

1. Wash the green beans. If the beans are extra long, cut them in half.
2. Place the beans in a pot and add the butter and salt. The trick to the dish is adding the right amount of water when cooking; you don’t want too much—add just enough to nearly cover the beans.
3. Cover and cook on low heat until the beans are soft and most of the water has evaporated—but do not drain.
4. Add the chopped basil. Mix well and continue cooking, uncovered, on low heat for another 5 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the flavors have blended.

— Anush Oganesian and Lida Hovhannesyan

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Jesse’s Chicken Stew

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced
2 carrots, chopped
¾ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
4 new potatoes, chopped
¾ cup fresh or frozen peas
1 rib celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sliced fresh okra (frozen or canned is also acceptable)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
Green beans (about 20 young, tender specimens)
Tarragon, thyme, parsley, basil, oregano, or other chopped fresh herbs, to taste
Water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
½ cup rotini pasta
Cornstarch (optional)
Tamari sauce
Oyster crackers, for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

1. Put the olive oil into a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add all of the ingredients except for the bouillon cubes, rotini, cornstarch, and tamari sauce. Sauté the chicken and vegetables until they are lightly golden.
2. Cover with water, then add the bouillon cubes and rotini. Simmer until everything is tender and the flavors have blended, about 1 hour. Add some cornstarch if you’d like a thicker sauce. (Start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch that’s dissolved in several tablespoons water; add and simmer until the sauce thickens. Repeat this process if you want a thicker stew.)
3. Serve tamari sauce at the table, and garnish with the oyster crackers and fresh parsley, if desired.

— Jesse Smith, The Bluff Country Co-op Cookbook

From Bounty from the Box: The CSA Farm Cookbook, by Mi Ae Lipe