Easy Garlic Green Beans Recipe
These five-ingredient garlic green beans are so garlicky and delicious! Green beans are blanched until toothsome yet tender, then sauteed with lots of garlic, a shower of sesame seeds, a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, and fresh, savory garden herbs.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time25 minutes mins
Course: Vegetable side
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 38kcal
- 2 pounds green beans (trimmed but left whole. You can also cut the beans in bite-sized pieces an inch long if that's your preference)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 heaping tablespoons garlic (crushed or minced)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (I used sage and chives)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Place a large pot of salted water to boil. When it comes to a boil, add the green beans, return to a boil, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the beans break easily and are tender inside but still have a good bite to them.
Strain the beans and place in cold, preferably iced, water so they don't cook any more. This also preserves their color.
Place extra virgin olive oil and garlic in a wok or large skillet. Saute over medium-low heat until the garlic becomes very aromatic and colors lightly.
Add the red pepper flakes and sesame seeds to the wok, stir-fry for a minute.
Add the herbs and mix. Then add blanched green beans (drain out the water first) to the wok or skillet. Add salt to taste and, if you wish, a dash of ground black pepper. Use a pair of tongs to mix the green beans with the herbs and sesame seeds so all the beans are evenly coated. Let the beans warm through.
Turn off heat and serve warm or at room temperature.
- To speed up cooking, buy pre-trimmed green beans. I like leaving the pointy sides on.
- If you aren't nut-free, you can use walnuts or pecans in this recipe instead of sesame seeds. Chop the nuts fairly fine.
- This recipe comes together quickly so don't leave the wok unattended, especially when you stir-fry the garlic and herbs. Don't cook the beans for too long once you've added them to the wok. All you need to do is warm them through.
- These garlic green beans can be refrigerated for 3-5 days. You can freeze them, but freezing would change the color and texture of the beans so it's not advisable.
Calories: 38kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 546IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg