Sauteed Green Beans
Simple and quick sauteed green beans recipe with cranberries and a touch of lemon. This flavorful side dish pairs well with all kinds of meals!
It’s the perfect side for your Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas meal.
How to make sauteed green beans with cranberries
You will need:
- Olive oil – I am using extra virgin olive oil and that is what I always recommend. However, if you don’t have it on hand, use what you can.
- Green beans
- Butter
- Lemon – You will need zest and juice.
- Dried cranberries – These could be optional, but I do recommend adding some to your green beans. They do elevate this simple side dish to a whole new level!
- Parmesan
- Pecans
- Seasoning – Salt and black pepper. If you can, use freshly ground. If not, use what you have on hand. I literally eyeball the quantity every time. In general, you only need a little of both.
Kitchen equipment and tools:
- Medium pot – Any size between 3 to 5-quart/3 to 5-liter will work great.
- Strainer
- Cutting board & knife – Chef’s knife is the best option for finely chopping nuts and cranberries.
- Cheese grater – If you have not bought shredded parmesan.
- Large skillet/sauté pan & spatula – or anything for stirring.
- Lemon zester – Microplane grater is the best one but any grater that can grate the zest of a lemon will do just fine.
- Serving dish of your choice
First you blanch the beans. Then saute in a skillet or saute pan with some oil. Right before the end, add butter, lemon juice and zest.
Sprinkle with chopped pecans, cranberries and parmesan.
Full recipe is at the bottom of this post. It contains measurements and is printable.
Frequently asked questions:
A splash of lemon juice, lemon zest, parmesan cheese or pecans add a ton of flavor to this simple side.
No, you don’t. If you prefer serving whole green beans, then go ahead and do so!
I recommend making them shortly before plating. I have been reheating them with leftovers, but they taste best on the day of cooking.
Yes, you can. However, if you are not allergic to nuts, I recommend you try and see. Pecans, cranberries, and parmesan do add a ton of flavor to this simple side dish.
Serving suggestions:
Possible substitutions:
Parmesan/Parmigiano – A cheaper alternative is Grana Padano. Pecorino is also tasty, but saltier. Sometimes, I use Manchego cheese as well.
Pecans – These could be substituted with walnuts. But be careful and taste them first. I found that they turn bitter quite fast. Toasted pine nuts are also a tasty option. You don’t need much for this recipe. Tip: Any unused nuts can be stored in the freezer to avoid them going rancid. Or, turn them into a tasty sweet treat like pecan hand pies or walnut truffles.
Green beans – You can use either frozen or fresh beans.
Julia’s notes:
- Fresh green beans are always better but frozen are more convenient. My local store does not always carry them when I want but they always have the frozen kind. They come trimmed and often halved so it reduces your overall prep time. And when you are busy, this is a great option.
- That being said, use what you like or what is available to you.
If you are looking for recipes for Thanksgiving dinner, here are a few you might like:
Sauteed Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans , ends trimmed (450 grams), see note 1
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , see note 2
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (15 grams), see note 3
- ½ lemon , zest and juice
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup dried cranberries , finely chopped, see note 4
- ¼ cup pecans , roughly chopped, see note 5
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan , see note 6
Instructions
- Cut the beans in halves. In a pot of boiling water, cook them for 5 minutes. When done, drain the water.
- Transfer the beans in a large skillet/saute pan with olive oil. Cook on medium-high for about 5 minutes, tossing or stirring often.
- Add butter, lemon juice from ½ lemon and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle over chopped cranberries, pecans and shredded parmesan. Stir well.
- Transfer the beans to a serving plate and serve warm.
Notes
- You can use fresh or frozen green beans. When using frozen beans, cook them from frozen for about 3-5 minutes in boiling water.
- Extra virgin olive oil can be substituted with regular cooking olive oil or vegetable oil.
- You can use salted butter, if you like. Then just use less salt when seasoning.
- You can use less if you feel this is too much.
- Pecans can be substituted with walnuts or toasted pine nuts.
- Instead of Parmesan, you can use grana Padano or Pecorino.
Made these last night, and they were amazing! The parmesan and olive oil combo was perfect, and the green beans had just the right amount of crunch. Will be making this again.
That’s so good to hear, Hannah! Thanks a lot for your comment.