How do I prep green beans for steaming?

Remove the stem end of the green beans before steaming. You can snap off each individual stem or cut off a few ends at a time by lining them up on a cutting board to save time. We prefer to steam our green beans whole. You can leave them long, or cut them into pieces once they're steamed and cooled.

How should I season Steamed Fresh Green Beans?

Steamed green beans are versatile. They can be their own side dish by simply tossing them in butter or oil, chopped fresh herbs, or chopped and toasted nuts. Salt and pepper enhance their flavor, as does a squeeze of lemon juice. You can cool and chop steamed green beans and add them to a composed salad or potato salad.

What should I serve with Steamed Fresh Green Beans?

As a side dish, green beans go with nearly everything: steak, fish, turkey, chicken or tofu recipes. Pair them with a comfort food favorite, like our Chicken-Fried Steak & Gravy . They would go especially well with our Garlic Butter-Roasted Salmon with Potatoes & Asparagus —switch the asparagus for the beans. Or use them as a side for our Walnut-Rosemary Crusted Salmon , Slow-Cooker Turkey Thighs with Herb Gravy , Baked Chicken Tenders or Indonesian Tofu Satays .

Are Steamed Green Beans gluten-free?

As is, green beans are gluten-free. It's what you add to them that you need to watch out for. For example, the crispy fried onions that are in and atop a traditional green bean casserole are made with wheat flour, as is the cream of mushroom soup. If you decide to make our green bean casserole from scratch, you can make it gluten-free by using gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Steamed Green Beans

Name: Steamed Fresh Green Beans
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 pound green beans, trimmed

Active Time:

5 mins

Additional Time:

5 mins

Total Time:

10 mins

Servings:

4

Yield:

4 servings

Nutrition Profile:

Gut Healthy Anti-Inflammatory Mediterranean Diet Low-Carb Nut-Free Dairy-Free Soy-Free High-Fiber Vegan Vegetarian Egg-Free Gluten-Free Low-Calorie

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Steamed Fresh Green Beans are a staple vegetable—they complement any main dinner course and can shine as part of a salad. Filled with vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and fiber, green beans are a great heart-healthy choice any day of the week. These snappy beans are also low in calories and carbohydrates—perfect for a low-carb diet. Keep reading for our expert tips on choosing the best green beans, how to steam them and more.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

Look for green beans that are uniformly green, plump and free of spots and blemishes. Larger beans may be less tender and sweet than smaller beans. Green beans are readily available year-round but are at their peak freshness from early summer to early fall.
Green beans steam in a steamer basket on the stove for 5 to 7 minutes. Opt for less time if you want to preserve more of their crispness. You can also steam green beans in the microwave.
Steamer baskets come in collapsible metal or silicone versions—both work as long as they fit in your pot with the lid on. If you don't have a steamer basket, use a metal colander or heatproof strainer instead. Alternatively, you can repurpose a metal pie pan by poking holes in it and placing it upside down over the water in your pot before adding the beans.
Warm green beans would be fantastic with a dollop of compound butter made with fresh garden herbs. You could use basil, cilantro lime, lemon thyme or a honey, rosemary and sage blend.

Nutrition Notes

Green beans are a nutritious, non-starchy vegetable that offers several nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and fiber. You'll also get a touch of B vitamins in green beans. Altogether, green beans are a great vegetable choice for those managing their blood sugars.

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Ingredients

1 pound green beans, trimmed

Directions

Bring an inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add green beans, cover and cook until tender-crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.

Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser

Equipment

Large saucepan, steamer basket

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prep green beans for steaming?

Remove the stem end of the green beans before steaming. You can snap off each individual stem or cut off a few ends at a time by lining them up on a cutting board to save time. We prefer to steam our green beans whole. You can leave them long, or cut them into pieces once they're steamed and cooled.
How should I season Steamed Fresh Green Beans?

Steamed green beans are versatile. They can be their own side dish by simply tossing them in butter or oil, chopped fresh herbs, or chopped and toasted nuts. Salt and pepper enhance their flavor, as does a squeeze of lemon juice. You can cool and chop steamed green beans and add them to a composed salad or potato salad.
What should I serve with Steamed Fresh Green Beans?

As a side dish, green beans go with nearly everything: steak, fish, turkey, chicken or tofu recipes. Pair them with a comfort food favorite, like our Chicken-Fried Steak & Gravy. They would go especially well with our Garlic Butter-Roasted Salmon with Potatoes & Asparagus—switch the asparagus for the beans. Or use them as a side for our Walnut-Rosemary Crusted Salmon, Slow-Cooker Turkey Thighs with Herb Gravy, Baked Chicken Tenders or Indonesian Tofu Satays.
Are Steamed Green Beans gluten-free?

As is, green beans are gluten-free. It's what you add to them that you need to watch out for. For example, the crispy fried onions that are in and atop a traditional green bean casserole are made with wheat flour, as is the cream of mushroom soup. If you decide to make our green bean casserole from scratch, you can make it gluten-free by using gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, November 2017

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

27	Calories
7g	Carbs
1g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Serving Size 1 cup
Calories 27
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 7g	2%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 1g	3%
Vitamin A 273IU	5%
Vitamin C 8mg	9%
Calcium 55mg	4%
Iron 1mg	3%
Potassium 273mg	6%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

Additional reporting by

Carrie Myers, M.S.,