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Green Beans with Lemon

Photo: Mike Kenneally/Unsplash

BY Mark Bittman

PUBLISHED October 17, 2024

These green beans are precooked in boiling water, then finished at the last minute with both juice and zest of lemon.

 

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Green Beans with Lemon

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Makes 12 servings 1x

Time 15 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds green beans or snow peas, trimmed
  • 3 lemons
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it (for this, the same water may be used as that in which the potatoes have been blanched). Add the beans, and cook until they are just bright green and tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. While the beans cook, fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain the beans, then plunge the colander into the water to stop the cooking. When they’re cool, drain them again. Zest the lemons, and julienne or mince the zest. Juice the lemons. (You can prepare the recipe to this point up to a day ahead; cover everything separately and refrigerate.)
  3. When you’re ready to eat, put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beans, and cook, tossing or stirring, until they are hot and glazed with the oil, 3 to 5 minutes. Toss the beans in a serving bowl with the lemon juice, top with the zest, and then serve.

— Recipe from the New York Times: The Minimalist: Give Thanks in Three Hours from Scratch

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