Sautéed Green Beans with Thyme Butter
on Aug 31, 2020, Updated Jun 20, 2023
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When green beans are at their freshest, you only need to cook them lightly with simple seasonings to make them perfect.
Green beans, also known as string beans, are on the whole cheap and readily available, and never more so than in the middle to end of summer, when crops and gardens are at their string bean peak. You can find them at farmers’ markets and grocery stores for as little as a dollar a pound, sometimes even less.
And when they are at their freshest, you only need to cook them lightly with simple seasonings to make them perfect.
Haricot verts are skinny string beans, nice and tender. The name is actually French for “green beans”, and they can also be called French Beans. They are worth seeking out, especially for special occasions.
Shallots (and Subsitutions)
Shallots are a member of the onion family, with a slightly sweeter flavor, and often less bite, than onions, when used raw. When cooked, they can pretty much be used interchangeably with onions. I love them and use them all the time. Don’t have shallots? Use onions. Or sub in 1/2 teaspoon of finely minced garlic instead.
Here they share a plate with Barbacoa Beef Tacos and a Mixed Lettuce Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette (recipe coming soon!). But they would be welcome at almost any meal I can think of.
Sautéed Green Beans with Thyme Butter: When green beans are at their freshest, you only need to cook them lightly with simple seasonings to make them perfect.
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What to Serve with Sautéed Green Beans with Thyme Butter:
- Parmesan Garlic Mushroom Chicken
- Spicy, Sweet and Nutty Tofu
- 30-Minute Shrimp Scampi
- Pasta with Extreme White Clam Sauce
- Soy-Ginger Flank Steak
Other Green Bean Recipes:
- Blistered Green Beans with Miso Butter
- Honey Mustard Green Beans
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Sautéed Haricot Verts with Red Onions and Shallots
- Green Beans with Tarragon Vinaigrette
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole
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Sautéed Green Beans with Thyme Butter
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
- ¼ cup minced shallots
- 1 tablespoon minced thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound green beans or haricot verts , trimmed (see Note)
Instructions
- Combine the butter, thyme, shallots, lime juice and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the green beans and sauté for 1 minute. Add the butter mixture, and allow it to melt, then sauté the beans in the butter over medium high heat for 2 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons water, cover the pan and steam for 2 to 4 more minutes until the veggies are almost cooked and bright green (regular green beans will take a bit longer than haricot verts). Remove the lid, stir and until most of the liquid has evaporated, and the herbed butter has become a nice glaze over the beans. Adjust the seasonings, transfer the beans to a serving platter with tongs, and pour any bit of remaining liquid over the beans and serve.
