Sautéed Green Beans with Balsamic Vinegar
There is a sweetness and tanginess to balsamic vinegar that works well with vegetables of all sorts.
Sautéed green beans with balsamic vinegar are easy to make and have a great tangy flavor that goes with just about anything. In this recipe, the balsamic vinegar helps create a bright, summery marinade with the lemon juice and basil that take regular green beans to another level.
Marinating the green beans helps the flavors from the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice soak into the beans. If you have the time let the beans marinate for an hour or so.
It normally takes around 8 to 10 good size basil leaves to get 1/4 cup of minced basil.
Sautéed Green Beans
The goal with sautéed green beans is to cook them all the way through, letting them pick up the flavors of whatever they are being cooked with while staying firm.
A few tips for better beans are to marinate them before cooking to add flavor and moisture, use medium-high heat, and make sure to keep the beans moving when they hit the pan.
To help the beans pick up the flavors from the marinade, they should be trimmed first and then cut into large bite-sized pieces.
Once the beans have picked up some color, we’ll often add a little water, wine, or stock and cook them covered until they’ve cooked all the way through and are tender but still have some snap to them. When they’re cooked too long over high heat the beans can turn tough.
These green beans are also great on the grill. If you’re cooking them on the grill, use a grill pan and cook on medium-high heat for 12 to 15 minutes.
You can also try our Grilled Green Beans with Goat Cheese for a recipe that adds some pop and char to the beans.
A few dishes that bring out the flavors in this recipe are Sous Vide Leg of Lamb and Maple Bourbon Glazed Grilled Ham.
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 medium shallot
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, divided
- 2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup basil, minced
Instructions
- Start by washing and cleaning the green beans and breaking them into bite-sized chunks.
- Slice the shallots crosswise to create thin circles; this will help hold them together in the finished dish. Mince the garlic and basil.
- To create the marinade mix the olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar together with the garlic, pepper, basil, and 1 tsp salt.
- Mix the green beans and shallots with the marinade and let everyone get to know each other for at least 15 minutes.
- Use a little olive oil to sauté the beans on high heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Cook the beans until they have started turning color and are cooked through.
- Finish the beans by mixing them with 1/2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, and a 1/2 tsp of salt. This helps to brighten the beans and bring out all of their delicious flavors.
Mark is an experienced food writer, recipe developer, and photographer who is also Umami’s publisher and CEO. A passionate cook who loves to cook for friends, he can often be found in the kitchen or by the grill testing new recipes.
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