Sarra Ina Garten green bean recipes are all about keeping things simple and letting the beans stay bright, crisp, and full of flavor. This collection covers her favorite ways to prepare them, from buttery sautés and crunchy roasted haricots verts to elegant salads where green beans share the plate with seared tuna and fresh salmon.
1. String Beans With Shallots
Crisp green beans blanched until just tender, then sautéed in a mix of butter and olive oil with thinly sliced shallots until the shallots turn golden and sweet. The combination of butter and shallots creates a savory, caramelized flavor that clings to every bean. Ready in about 20 minutes for one of her simplest and most reliable sides.
2. Green Beans Almondine
Blanched green beans tossed in a warm skillet with butter, toasted sliced almonds, garlic, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice until everything is golden and fragrant. The almonds add a buttery crunch while the lemon keeps the dish tasting bright and fresh. Done in about 20 minutes and elegant enough for a holiday table.
3. Tuna Salad Niçoise
Seared tuna steaks served over a composed salad of blanched green beans, small potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and mixed greens with a tangy Dijon vinaigrette. The green beans stay crisp-tender and add color and crunch between every rich, savory bite. Ready in about 35 minutes for a hearty French-style meal.
4. Salmon Salad Niçoise
Roasted salmon fillet broken into flakes over a bed of haricots verts, small red potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, and olives dressed in a bright vinaigrette. The thin French green beans are blanched until crisp and add a fresh, snappy bite against the rich salmon. Takes about an hour but looks stunning on a platter.
More Green Bean Recipes Worth Trying
5. Green Beans Gremolata (via Food Network)
French haricots verts blanched until crisp-tender, then sautéed in olive oil and tossed with a bright gremolata of garlic, lemon zest, parsley, Parmesan, and toasted pine nuts. The pine nuts add a buttery crunch and the lemon zest lifts every bite. One of her most popular Thanksgiving sides and easy to prep ahead.
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6. String Beans With Garlic (via Food Network)
Sautéed green beans cooked simply with garlic and olive oil until tender and lightly golden, letting the garlic mellow and sweeten in the pan. A stripped-back side that takes just minutes and pairs with almost anything on the table. One of her go-to weeknight preparations from the Barefoot Contessa show.
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7. French String Bean Salad (via Food Network)
Tender haricots verts blanched, chilled in ice water to lock in their bright green color, then dressed in a tangy Dijon mustard vinaigrette with fresh dill. The beans stay crisp and the vinaigrette adds a sharp, savory bite that makes this salad work warm or at room temperature. A light, elegant side from her How Easy Is That? cookbook.
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8. Garlic Roasted Haricots Verts (via Food Network)
Haricots verts tossed with olive oil and minced garlic on a sheet pan, then roasted at 425 degrees until the edges blister and turn golden and slightly crispy. The high heat concentrates the flavor and gives the beans a roasted, nutty sweetness you don’t get from sautéing. A fast, hands-off side that makes cleanup easy.
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9. French String Beans (via Food Network)
Bright green beans blanched for just four minutes, then served on a platter topped with roasted red onion and bell peppers tossed in olive oil. The roasted vegetables add a caramelized sweetness against the crisp, fresh beans underneath. Works beautifully hot or at room temperature, making it ideal for a dinner party from her Barefoot in Paris cookbook.
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10. Roasted Haricots Verts (via Food Network)
Simple French green beans trimmed, spread on sheet pans, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and roasted at high heat for just 10 minutes until crisp-tender. No garlic, no shallots, no extras needed when the beans are fresh and the oven does the work. The fastest green bean side in her entire collection.
