‘Tis the season, and that means, among may things, green beans. Everywhere.
If that doesn’t excite you, well, I understand. This humble vegetable doesn’t hold much sway over salivary glands.
It can get the juices flowing with the right recipes, though, and that’s why I put together this list.
As you’ll see, green beans can make a fantastic side dish to almost any entree, and particularly with meat and seafood.
I’ve also made sure to include something for everyone.
Whether you’re vegan, cutting, bulking, a “clean eater,” or flexible with your diet, you’ll find a meal to enjoy.
Picture courtesy of Saveur
This is one healthy dish that won’t get ignored at a backyard barbecue. It’ll be more popular than the potato salad.
Using ripe peaches along with fresh green beans means these veggies will stand out on a crowded buffet table. And, this peachy summer salad goes well with chicken, steak, barbecued tofu, or roast pork.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 lb. firm-ripe yellow peaches, sliced
1 Tbsp. finely chopped oregano
2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 211
Protein: 3 grams
Carbs: 15 grams
Fat: 17 grams
Picture courtesy of The Endless Meal
For an easy green bean casserole, you don’t need to open a can of mushroom soup. Instead, make a creamy mushroom sauce at home using cashews. It’s so rich, yet nutritious, that even Paula Deen’s green bean casserole with a stick of butter can’t compete.
Once your vegan mushroom sauce is complete, just mix it with green beans, and put it in the oven. The whole casserole gets topped with sautéed onions and crispy panko bread crumbs to bring in that classic flavor.
Serves 6
Ingredients
Magic Mushroom Sauce:
1 cup cashews, soaked in water 4 to 24 hours
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. crimini or button mushrooms, sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Casserole:
1 1/2 lbs. green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 313
Protein: 12 grams
Carbs: 35 grams
Fat: 17 grams
Picture courtesy of EatingWell
This healthy shrimp recipe fits into almost any meal plan, and it only takes a half hour to make. Cook up this garlic green bean and shrimp sauté as is for a high-protein, low-calorie dinner. For a bigger plate, serve it with brown rice, quinoa, or whole-wheat noodles.
Looking to eat more veggies? You’ll want to get EatingWell Vegetables: The Essential Reference, which has sections dedicated to about 50 kinds of fresh produce like chard, kohlrabi, asparagus, and more.
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 cups green beans, trimmed
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 tsp. paprika
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cans (16 oz. each) butter beans, rinsed
1/4 cup sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 237
Protein: 23 grams
Carbs: 26 grams
Fat: 8 grams
Picture courtesy of Family Fresh Meals
Instead of making just an entrée or side dish in the slow cooker, make the entire meal in one go. You only need five ingredients for this one-pot meal, so with a bit of planning, it’s easy to make this and avoid ordering takeout.
Assemble the Crock pot green beans and chicken in the morning or afternoon – it takes just 10 minutes – and you’ll have a home-cooked dinner waiting to be devoured.
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4)
1 box (6 oz.) stuffing mix
1 can (10.5 oz.) 98% fat-free cream of chicken condensed soup
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup water
1 bag (10 oz.) frozen green beans
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 363
Protein: 41 grams
Carbs: 29 grams
Fat: 10 grams
Picture courtesy of The Dinner Mom
Turn green beans into a fun snack with this recipe for baked fries. They’re not going to be like the ones from potatoes, of course, since green beans have a different color and texture.
But this grown-up version has better nutrition, plus a tasty balsamic yogurt dip to replace the ketchup. The best part is they’re easy to make: coat in olive oil, seasonings, and grated Parmesan. Once roasted, get them crispy by finishing the fries under the broiler until browned.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Green Bean Fries:
1 lb. green beans, washed, dried, and trimmed
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (about 2 oz.) finely grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
Yogurt Dip:
1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 129
Protein: 10 grams
Carbs: 10 grams
Fat: 7 grams
Picture courtesy of Food Network
A quick way to turn fresh veggies into a Southern side dish is to add bacon. Aside from that, it’s easy to sauté green beans, although it takes extra time to blanche them – that means boil for a few minutes, then quickly cool them down with ice water.
The other big upgrade in this recipe is candied jalapenos, an optional way to add spice. Make your own, and you can use the jalapeno syrup to glaze these Southern green beans. For an easier version, use honey or maple syrup, then add a pinch of crushed red pepper.
Serves 8
Ingredients
2 lbs. green beans, trimmed
4 thick slices hickory-smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4” thick pieces
6 large shallots, quartered
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup jalapeno syrup
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 104
Protein: 4 grams
Carbs: 17 grams
Fat: 3 grams
Picture courtesy of Good Housekeeping
Green beans don’t have to be bland. For a simple way to make green beans that everyone will love, add sweet Italian sausage for savory flavor. And this is adaptable too.
Make it as an easy green bean recipe for two, and this side dish can be a healthy lunch. Or, double the sausage to make a satisfying meal with even more protein.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 oz. sweet Italian sausage
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion
1 red bell pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 can (15 oz.) low-sodium crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 188
Protein: 11 grams
Carbs: 26 grams
Fat: 6 grams
Picture courtesy of Serious Eats
High-protein meals don’t get much more convenient than this. The fresh veggies go in a pot of boiling water for less than a minute.
Then tofu is tossed with lemon juice, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and broiled until the outside is crisp. And you can prepare it all in advance. This vegetarian make-ahead meal will keep in the fridge for a couple days – just keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to dig in.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 block (14 oz.) extra-firm tofu
Salt to taste
10 oz. green beans, ends trimmed
1 zucchini, halved crosswise, cut into thin strips
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
3 oz. pea shoots (or sprouts)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 297
Protein: 26 grams
Carbs: 25 grams
Fat: 14 grams
Picture courtesy of Budget Bytes
A salmon dinner for under $5 a plate? This whole meal is not only easy to cook, but it’s cheap too. That’s because green beans are a low-cost side dish that goes a long way.
The marinated salmon is cooked in the skillet in under 10 minutes, and then par-boiled green beans just get a quick glaze in the pan to finish before dinner is served.
Serves 3
Ingredients
2/3 lb. salmon filet
2/3 lb. fresh green beans
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. mirin rice wine
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1” fresh ginger, grated or minced
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 282
Protein: 25 grams
Carbs: 24 grams
Fat: 10 grams
Picture courtesy of Damn Delicious
It’s easier to make perfect pork chops than you think. When you’re already roasting green beans, make room on the pan for some meat so it all cooks in the oven together.
Then slice up some apples, and sauté them in butter and brown sugar for a topping that’ll make any pork chops taste amazing.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Pork Chops & Green Beans:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 pork bone-in pork chops (about 8 oz. each), about 3/4” thick
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 lb. green beans
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Apples:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 591
Protein: 47 grams
Carbs: 39 grams
Fat: 29 grams
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That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $299.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
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