Lemony Green Beans with Pine Nuts & Garlic

These lemony green beans with pine nuts and garlic are flavorful, simple, and go great alongside pretty much any main dish! They’re one of my go-to sides for weeknight meals, holidays, and dinner parties.

Fancy green bean varieties are back at the farmer’s market and I am in my peak Millennial foodie mode. Sundresses and mesh produce bags are involved. I stroll around with a coffee and pretend I’m at a Parisian outdoor market. It’s a whole thing.

The benefit of this is I come home with armfuls of fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies. The fruit sometimes gets spooned over yogurt but more oftentimes get baked into a galette. With the veggies, I like to make something that’s fancy enough to serve guests but simple and attainable enough for an elevated weeknight dinner. These lemony green beans are a lovely example of my favorite kind of veggie side dish situation! They’re bright, fresh, savory, a bit spicy, and have a nice crunch thanks to the pine nuts.

Details on lemony green beans with pine nuts & garlic

To make these green beans, we’re going to do a combo of sautéing and steaming. This will give us green beans that are tender but still a little crisp on the outside. Then, we’ll season the green beans with shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon, and toasty pine nuts! I almost always have the ingredients on hand so I can whip up a quick veggie side dish anytime I don’t know what to make for dinner.

Also, this recipe makes four generous servings which is nice if you’re just making these green beans on a weeknight. However, if you’re going to serve them at a dinner party or for the holidays, it’s super easy to multiply! They’re beyond delicious and go with just about any main course from roasted chicken to pot roast to veggie soup. Let’s get into it!

The ingredient list

You’ll need just a few ingredients to make these lemony green beans – you might even have most of them in your pantry!

• Pine nuts – these will be our topping at the end to add a nice toasty, earthy flavor.
• Green beans – look for green beans that are bright green, firm, and don’t have a ton of discolored brown spots.
• Shallot – just a small one to add a little extra flavor!
• Garlic – to complement the lemon and pepper flakes.
• Red pepper flakes – I like adding these for a little spice. You can skip them if you’re not into heat!
• Lemon – we’ll need the zest and the juice in this recipe.
• Kitchen staples – olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper.

How to make this recipe step-by-step

1. Start by toasting the pine nuts in a large, dry pan. Stir often to prevent burning. The pine nuts are done when they are light brown and smell toasted. Spoon them into a small bowl and set aside.
2. Next, add the green beans to the hot pan. Add the water and bring it to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and steam for 3-5 minutes.
3. Then, remove the lid from the pan and stir the green beans until the water evaporates.
4. Make a well in the center of the green beans. Add some olive oil and butter.
5. Once the butter is melted, add the shallot and cook for a few minutes until they’re soft and starting to brown on the edges.
6. Next, add the garlic. Cook for about 30 more seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.
7. Remove the green beans from the heat. Stir in the red pepper flakes, lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
8. Spoon the green beans onto a serving dish. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and enjoy!

The secret to the best sauteed green beans

My favorite tip for getting sautéed green beans that are tender, perfectly-cooked, and just a tad crisp is to both steam and sauté them! Here’s how I do it:

1. Add 1 pound of green beans to a pan. Pour in about 1/3 cup of water.
2. Bring the green beans to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and steam for 3-4 minutes.
3. Then, remove the lid and cook the green beans, stirring frequently, until the water evaporates.
4. Add any seasonings and aromatics. You should have tender, but still crisp, green beans!

Storing leftovers & reheating

To store leftover green beans, let them come to room temperature. Then, spoon them into an airtight container. Keep them in the fridge for up to four days. I do not recommend freezing the green beans, they are best when made fresh!

To reheat the leftovers, you can either microwave them for 30-60 seconds until hot. Or, you can always reheat them with a little olive oil in a pan on the stove. Heat the lemony green beans just until they’re hot so they don’t get too overcooked!

To make this recipe in advance

Although I usually find that veggie side dishes taste best when served immediately, these hold up surprisingly well! I have made them in advance for a few holidays and they still come out tasting delicious. They’ll still require a bit of cooking but the most time-consuming parts will be finished. Here’s how I make lemony green beans in advance:

1. Start by steaming the green beans as directed for about 3 minutes.
2. Then, remove the lid and sauté the green beans for just 1-2 minutes. Drain the remaining water from the pan.
3. Next, add the olive oil, butter, and shallots and cook just 1-2 minutes (the shallot should start to get soft but now brown).
4. Toss the green beans and shallots together. Then, spoon the mixture into a heat-proof dish. Let them cool and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
5. When you’re ready to finish the green beans, heat a large skillet. Add the green beans to the pan along with 2-3 Tablespoons of water. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the water is evaporated and the green beans are crisp-tender.
6. Add a drizzle of olive oil and the garlic to the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant.
7. Lastly, remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining seasonings and pine nuts.

Ingredient substitutions

• Green beans – for this recipe, I typically just go with the usual variety you find in the grocery store (sometimes called string beans or snap beans). But, you can also try other fun varieties like haricots verts (French green beans), long beans, Romano beans (Italian green beans), or wax beans.
• Pine nuts – almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts would be delicious as well! For a nut-free option, try sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
• Shallots – use a quarter of a yellow onion if you don’t have shallots on hand.
• Parmesan – this recipe doesn’t call for any, but it’s a nice addition! You can sprinkle a couple tablespoons of Parmesan over the green beans when you add the lemon zest.

Making this recipe with other green bean varieties

While I typically just use the regular green beans you find in the grocery store, you can use any green bean variety in this recipe. Just keep in mind you might need to adjust the cooking time depending on variety.

• Haricots verts – because this variety is very thin and delicate, I’d only steam the green beans for about 1-2 minutes. Drain the water, and quickly proceed with the rest of the recipe to avoid overcooking the beans. If you want to avoid overcooking haricots verts, you could also steam them for 2-3 minutes until crisp-tender, remove the beans, cook the rest of the ingredients and aromatics, and then stir everything together at the end!
• Long beans & wax beans – these varieties cooks similarly to green beans, so go ahead and proceed with the recipe as normal!
• Romano beans – this variety takes a bit more time to cook. Steam the beans for closer to 5-6 minutes. Then, saute the beans until they’re tender and add the remaining aromatics.

Helpful tools

You don’t necessarily need these tools to make this recipe but they definitely help! I’ve listed alternatives below in case you don’t have all of these tools on hand.

• Large skillet – I use my 12-inch Staub skillet but a wok or any other large saute pan will work. Just make sure you have something big enough to fit all the green beans!
• Microplane – this is the best way to get finely grated lemon zest. If you don’t have one, you can use the small holes on a cheese grater instead.
• Citrus juicer – if you want to get the most amount of juice out of the lemon. However, I usually just squeeze the lemon with my hands!

Serving suggestions

Lemony green beans go with pretty much anything but these are some of my favorites!

• Sheet Pan Chicken Cordon Bleu with Dijon Sauce
• Pot Roast with Red Wine & Shallots
• Beef Stroganoff with Shallots & Brandy
• Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie
• Irish Beef Stew + Cheddar Chive Biscuits

Recipe tips

• To avoid soggy green beans, only trim off the ends. Avoid cutting the green beans in half whenever possible so they don’t absorb too much water.
• Once the water is evaporated, saute the aromatics quickly to avoid overcooking the green beans.
• To char the green beans a bit more, you can skip the steaming part. Just heat the olive oil, add the green beans and cook for about 10-12 minutes until they are tender-crisp and charred on the outside.
• If you want to make the green beans in advance, just undercook them a tad. Then, keep them warm in a low oven until you’re ready to serve. They will continue cooking in the oven, which is why it’s best to undercook the beans a bit! Don’t keep them in the oven longer than 30 minutes.

More veggie side dishes to try out

Charred Broccoli with Breadcrumbs & Pecorino
Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Fried Shallots, Bacon, & Dijon Vinaigrette
Spring Panzanella Salad
Turmeric & Za’atar Roasted Carrots
Carrot Salad with Pistachios + Queso Fresco + Shallot Dressing

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

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xo Sara Lynn

*Song of the day: I Follow You by Melody’s Echo Chamber