A year or so ago, the wife went to the farmers’ market with me. That’s a very rare occurrence since she hates grocery shopping the way I hate being stranded in large department stores, forced to “watch the cart while I try this on.” Anyway, she bagged a couple of pounds of fresh green/string beans while I was in the cooler doing something or other. She asked how I usually like to prepare them, and I replied, “from a can.” She decided she would cook them herself.
She dug up this recipe from the Pioneer Woman’s blog and we both liked the way it turned out. Ever since then, she’s been willing to step up to the plate (pun intended) and cook these green beans whenever I buy them fresh. I’ve had to scour the internet at least a half-dozen times to relocate this recipe, so I thought I’d just go ahead and post it here for convenience.
Fresh Green Beans, One Way
- 1 lb green beans
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease (can substitute 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (can substitute regular table salt; use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)
- Ground black pepper
Snap the stem ends of green beans, or cut them off in a big bunch with a knife if you’d like. Just don’t tell Granny. Melt bacon grease in a skillet over medium low heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Then add green beans and cook for a minute until beans turn bright green. Add the chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Turn heat to low and cover with a lid, leaving lid cracked to allow steam to escape. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid evaporates and beans are fairly soft, yet still a bit crisp. You can add more chicken broth during the cooking process, but don’t be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can caramelize.
