When I was growing up, fresh green beans from our family garden were one of my favorite summer vegetables. I helped pick and prepare them for cooking. If anything said summer fresh to me it was green beans.
I would help “snap” the beans with a sense of accomplishment when the task was completed. Thinking back, it was the beginning of my fascination with food, where it was grown, and how it was prepared. And, no matter how you prep your fresh green beans by snapping, breaking, cutting, or trimming them, they will be delicious!
I found a recipe years ago that was the basis for the one I created. It called for canned green beans. I made the conversion to fresh along with adding the Italian seasoning and making a few other adjustments.
Whether you use fresh or canned green beans, I hope you try this recipe. If you use canned green beans, this recipe works with both cut and French-style varieties. It’s the perfect addition to so many meals.
Confetti Green Beans
Prep time: 10 – 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 – 60 minutes
Total time: 25 – 90 minutes
Kitchen Gear:
Measuring Spoons
Chef’s Knife
3-quart Saucepan
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh green beans
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons diced pimento
1 can sliced water chestnuts
Dash of salt and pepper
Directions:
Place green beans in a colander and rinse well.
Break or snap green beans to desired size. Place in a 3 quart saucepan and add 3 – 4 cups of water.
Add olive oil, garlic, and minced onion and stir into green beans. Cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes with a lid on the saucepan.
Reduce heat to low. Add Italian seasoning, pimento, and water chestnuts. Add a dash of salt and pepper, if desired. Stir into mixture and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Note: 2 to 3 cans of French style green beans can be substituted for fresh green beans. Rinse and cook in tap water. Follow directions above, but eliminate 45 minute cooking time for green beans. Add all ingredients together and cook for 15 minutes to blend flavors.
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Merritt Bates-Thomas is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) who has been sharing recipes with a healthier twist on WBKR FM 92.5’s What’s Cooking since 2017. In May 2023, she joined ABC 25 Local Lifestyles to share recipes and tips for flavorful cooking. She also appears on CW7’s Daybreak Extra’s Joe’s Kitchen. You can follow her on Instagram @thekitchentransition
