Green beans might conjure up some bad memories from when we were kids, being forced to eat them by our parents, whether we liked it or not.
However, a lot of that comes from the fact that we both had the palettes of children (where everything was pretty much: sweet=good, bitter=bad) and that, without a good recipe to follow, green beans often just end up coming out too bitter.
Enter Ina Garten, and her cooking skills that turned these stringy side vegetables into something that you can’t stop wanting more of, in her Gremolata dish.
Ina Garten is very much a trendsetter in the world of food. So of course, whatever Garten does, the rest of the online cooking world is sure to follow.
The result? A huge explosion of recipes for green beans across the internet, with many recipes ranging from amazing to… questionable? Politely not ‘amazing’, in any case.
That’s why, in this list, we’ve stuck to the best recipes inspired by Ina Garten’s green bean recipes.
Well, if we’re taking a look at the best recipes for cooked green beans, we’re going to need a good recipe to compare our other copycats too.
So, where better to start this list than with the recipe that arguably kick-started the latest craze for them?
We may as well start with arguably the king of green bean recipes, the Gremolata that Ina Garten herself came up with!
These green beans are like many others that you’ll find out there. The beans and their pods are boiled, then put in cold water to blanch them.
Where this recipe gets good is in the gremolata. Made from fresh lemon zest, parsley, Parmesan, pine nuts, and garlic, this mix turns what might otherwise be just everyday beans into a dish with a flavor all of its own.
Plus, it’s uncomplicated, separated into three simple steps, so pretty much anyone can follow it for themselves. No wonder so many people love these green beans!
All in all, this is a great way of turning vegetables that some people wouldn’t bat a second glance at, into something that everyone is going to love, and an amazing bar for the other recipes here to reach!
So, how exactly do the copycat recipes stack up to the original?
Well, let’s find out in this next green bean gremolata, which uses the same foundation as Ina Garten’s for an amazing veggie side dish that everyone can enjoy, ingredients and all.
What makes these dishes such a fan favorite of ours is the fact that they don’t take a ton of time to cook.
Boiling them takes just a few minutes, the gremolata can be made at the same time, and the mixing takes 2 minutes tops.
The whole recipe can be made in just 10 minutes, making it the perfect side dish for when you’re not quite sure what else to make (as long as you have the ingredients, of course).
If you’re looking for extra flavor, we would wholeheartedly recommend using extra virgin olive oil, although you can still get a great taste with just ordinary olive oil.
Overall, this is a great green bean recipe. It doesn’t change much from the original, sure. But why try and mess with perfection?
Okay, we may have just mentioned that messing with perfection isn’t a great idea. But we’re prepared to make an exception if we think that there’s something to the change.
And that’s certainly the case with these sautéed string beans!
Already, the choice to sauté these beans makes this recipe stand out, rather than simply boiling them, from the ones that we’ve covered so far. You get the same clean texture, but with a little extra crunch to it.
Plus, the oil will add a little extra flavor to it, as well as make it easier for the beans to retain any extra toppings that you might want to add.
And, in this case, the toppings are very simple: garlic, unsalted butter, and some salt and pepper. All of which is added when you sauté the beans.
It’s a simple few extras that are meant to enhance the natural flavor of the beans, rather than hide them, as you may find in the other recipes inspired by Ina Garten. So this might be a you-love-it or you-hate-it kind of recipe.
This recipe follows from the same core idea that our previous entry had, doing more with fewer ingredients.
Once again, butter and garlic are going to be the main source of added flavors here.
However, you’ll also find a zesty inclusion to that ingredients list, with a little extra lemon juice and rind to give these beans that little extra punch to them.
Some people may prefer the more ingredient-rich versions of green bean dishes like Ina Garten’s recipe has, and rightfully so. However, the fewer ingredients needed only make this version that much easier to cook.
Just some beans, heat, garlic and butter, and some lemon pepper, and you’re ready to go!
Plus, this still follows the same rough steps as Ina Garten’s, such as the boiling and blanching, so it’s not going to take long to cook, in any case.
Of course, a chef with as many recipes under their tool belt as Ina Garten isn’t going to just have one recipe for a food item under their belt.
As this next entry shows us, there are plenty of ways to enjoy green beans with the right ingredients.
Green bean almondine is a simple dish that isn’t too different from the gremolata and sautéed green bean dishes that we’ve already covered.
Only here, we have the addition of some tasty almonds, sliced or slivered, to be tossed into this dish.
Not only do you get the cooked green beans for some tasty vitamins, but you’ll also get the added flavor and texture variety of arguably one of the best kinds of nuts out there!
If you’re looking for a good green side dish to go with your braised chicken, beefsteak, or fried fish, you probably want something that can balance out that high-fat, high-protein centerpiece.
If so, this recipe might just be for you!
You’re not just enjoying green beans in the recipe, but a whole host of green veggies that are filled with plenty of healthy vitamins and other nutrients.
From snap peas to broccoli to asparagus, there are plenty of vegetables in this dish.
And, very importantly, there are also a lot of them, making this the perfect dish to feed a whole table with.
This recipe produces enough servings for around 4 to 5, maybe even 6 people, so you’ll always have a recipe that you can prepare for the family!
Whether you’re looking for an appropriate side dish, or a topping for a bowl of rice or noodles, these buttered-up and salted greens will have your dietary needs covered!
Sometimes, you want to try and come up with the most extravagant ways of making green beans and other vegetables the highlight of your meal.
And other times, you just want a simple way to make these stringy vegetables palatable to your kids. This recipe is more in that latter category.
Not that this recipe doesn’t have its ways of adding to the flavor of these veggies.
Like the Ina Garten recipes that we’ve already covered, this dish makes sure to add quite a few extra ingredients, to keep the palette fresh as these vegetables sit in your mouth.
And, of course, don’t forget to blanch these beans to get the best crunchy texture!
Shallots are an ingredient that just radiates prestige, you know? Pretty much every dish out there that these onion variants are added to just feels classier, don’t they?
Well, the same is true for green beans, as they are for pretty much every other dish out there!
Make sure to add plenty of olive oil to this dish when you are sautéing these veggies, as well as a good amount of unsalted butter. You don’t want the flavor of the beans to escape, and the heat of the shallots to go, do you?
It’s another great way of using Garten’s original green bean concept, with a few extra ingredients added.
And, of course, don’t forget the garlic!
Final Notes
So, there you have it!
As you can see, Ina Garten has done more than a few recipes on green beans, turning what was once everyone’s least favorite vegetable into a dish that you can’t help but ask for seconds from!
Then again, this is Ina Garten that we are talking about. Should we be so surprised that she made us appreciate a classic cooking ingredient as she does with so many other meals?
I'm Barbara Hunt, the founder of WomenChefs.org. Being a mom of two, I understand the challenges of meal planning and the monotony it can bring.
That's why I created WomenChefs.org, a platform dedicated to showcasing the skills and delicious dishes crafted by amazing women. My goal is to provide a space where women can find delectable recipes that tantalize their taste buds and ignite their senses.
I hope you'll join me in exploring WomenChefs.org and discovering your next favorite recipe. Let's embrace culinary diversity and try something new together!
