As I was thumbing through the latest edition of Everyday Food recently, I came across this recipe for green beans. I thought, like you are probably thinking right now, “Oh yeah…another recipe for green beans. Ho hum.” And I kept right on browsing. But something kept calling me back to this recipe. Maybe it was just the beautiful photo of the beans. Maybe it was because the recipe uses fresh thyme and my herb garden is overflowing with it. I really don’t know why I kept coming back to this simple green bean recipe. But I can tell you that I’m very glad that I did.
Without being overly dramatic, I can say that these may be the best green beans I’ve ever eaten. The chicken stock and garlic that they’re braised in give a nice mellow flavor to the beans and the lemon juice at the end adds a sharp, bright kick that really takes these beans to another level. Give this recipe a try – you’ll be glad you did.
The original recipe used regular fresh green beans but I opted for haricot verts, those slender little French green beans that are so delicious. Clean and trim the beans, if necessary. Mine only needed a few stems removed. It didn’t even take five minutes prep time before I was ready to cook.
You’ll need a large skillet with a cover for this recipe. In the skillet, bring the chicken stock and garlic cloves to a simmer over medium heat. Add the green beans and thyme sprigs. Cover and cook until the beans are tender. Depending on how tender you like your beans, the cooking will take about 8 to 10 minutes. The chicken stock should be nearly evaporated at the end of the cooking time. If it seems to be evaporating too quickly, add just a few tablespoons of water so that the beans don’t cook dry.
When the beans are tender, remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Season with salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. Serve immediately.
Haricot verts cooked in a garlic infused chicken stock, seasoned with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 lb. haricot verts (slender French green beans)
- 3-4 sprigs fresh lemon thyme
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2-3 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Clean and trim, if necessary, the green beans.
- In a large skillet, bring the chicken broth and garlic cloves to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add the green beans and thyme. Cover and cook approximately 8 minutes or until beans are tender and chicken broth is nearly evaporated.
- Remove and discard thyme sprigs.
- Season with salt, pepper, olive oil, and juice of one lemon.
Notes
Original recipe from Everyday Food July/August 2012
Other recipes using fresh green beans you might enjoy from around the internet:
- Haricot Verts with Frisee and Bacon from Leite’s Culinaria
- Haricot Verts with Balsamic Vinaigrette from Tasting Spoons
- Spicy Roasted Green Beans with Shrimp from Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Spicy Baked Green Bean Fries from A Cozy Kitchen
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole from Brown Eyed Baker
What I was up to…
- One year ago: Baked Spaghetti
- Two years ago: Baked Corn Casserole
- Three years ago: No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
it looks awesome. I have cooked string beans, carrots and potatoes together in chicken broth before. It tastes delicious!
Thanks, Mari. It’s a really delicious way to flavor the beans without adding lots of fat.
Yum! Perfect way to make green beans.
I love this recipe. I think it will be good too if cook with cauliflower. Maybe some cheese on top would be nice too. :)
Thank you for posting! I ripped this out of the magazine to keep, and I cannot find it–and just bought a ton of beans at the farmer’s market today!. The magazine website doesn’t have it for some reason. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Alexis. Glad I could help.
Thanks! I do have one more question: did you slice/mince/press the garlic? Thank you!
I peeled the garlic and left the cloves whole. They cook right along with the beans and are so nice and soft and sweet. You can discard them if you want, but you can see in the photo how I served a whole cooked clove with a portion of green beans.
Thanks again! Making them in a bit!