Sauteed Green Beans

If comics have taught me anything, it’s that heroes need sidekicks. Batman had Robin,  and any steak or risotto that you can imagine has Sauteed Green Beans as its sidekick. The buttery garlic taste usually pairs great with a steak or risotto. The crunchy texture provides contrast to the bite of the meat. Overall, it complements the dishes that go alongside it. This is why it’s an easy and simple dish to create at home to take your home-cooking to the next level.

What are Sauteed Green Beans?

They are exactly what they sound like. Slit green beans paired with red bell peppers and garlic in a buttery sauce. Optionally you can add roasted peanuts as well. This makes for an exceptionally light side dish that doesn’t overshadow the main dish’s flavor and texture but serves as a tasty and healthy alternative to break the monotony of flavors.

Notable Ingredients at a Glance

Green beans – Look for ones that are fresh and perky, rather than ones that are sad and floppy and speckled with black specks. We are going to blanch these to a crispy, tender texture before cooking.

Red Bell Pepper – Red bell peppers make the dish colorful. Also, it adds good flavor and crunch to it. Make sure not to julienne them. The bell pepper would disintegrate in the heat at that kind of thickness.

Garlic – One huge clove or two tiny cloves Using a knife, finely mince the garlic or use a garlic press/crusher instead. This makes the garlic moist and pasty, so you won’t get the wonderful golden parts shown. When the garlic strikes the skillet, it will just spit.

Black Pepper – Use black pepper to enhance the flavor of the dish. You can skip it if you wish.

Peanuts – Though this is optional. But, if you add roasted peanuts it will add a good texture to the dish.

Olive oil – If you want your beans to taste like butter use clarified butter/ghee instead of  oil

How to prepare Sauteed Green Beans?

Cut the ends of the beans (1cm) from both sides.

Boil water in a pan and turn off the heat. Place the beans in it for 5 mins and then strain it and put it in ice water for 2 mins. This blanching process is necessary to achieve the crispy tender texture I’m going for. If you prefer your beans to be softer, you can let the boiling o on for longer depending upon the level of doneness you want.

Strain the beans and keep them aside. Heat a pan and add olive oil to it.

On low heat, add the garlic and fry for 30 secs or until fragrant.

Now add the red bell pepper and fry for 4 mins.

In the meantime in another pan roast the peanuts. Be careful about roasting peanuts though. They are very easy to burn if left undisturbed. While toasting, keep the peanuts constantly moving to evenly toast them. They should give off a buttery nutty aroma that indicates their doneness.

Now add the beans and the peanuts to the pan and mix with the bell peppers.

Add salt and black pepper and mix well. Now saute for 5-6 mins. Make sure that the oil does not separate out of the beans. They should be evenly glossy and coated, indicating proper emulsification.

Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid and leave for 5 mins.

Serve with rice.

Some expert tips for preparing Sauteed Green Beans

• You can add butter along with the oil for a richer taste. Similarly, you can also add lemon juice to cut through the richness of the sauce.
• Instead of blanching the green beans, you can simply saute them in a pan. They should wilt and soften up enough for you to be able to comfortably eat them.

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