This is a great twist on just plain green beans. The brightness of the lemon zest is delicious. Several variations are included in the recipe as well as the pro tip of blanching the beans for quicker cooking time.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt (additional to taste)
- 1 pound fresh green beans with the vine end removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Salt to taste
Directions
- Bring 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil.
- Boil (blanch) the green beans for 5 minutes or until just a little soft, don’t overcook.
- Drain the green beans well. If doing this in advance, shock in ice water.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or stir fry pan.
- Add the green beans and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the lemon zest and stir well.
- Adjust the salt to taste.
NOTE: You can blanch the green beans ahead of time — just shock in ice water and refrigerate. You can also use frozen green beans. Thaw and start at step #4.
Other variations:
- Omit the lemon zest and add toasted slivered almonds.
- Omit the lemon zest and add 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, and 1 teaspoon hot sauce such as sambal or sriracha.
Nutrition Information per Serving
(Based on green beans with lemon zest and 1 teaspoon salt)
- Serving Size: ¾ cup
- Vegetables: ¾ cup
- Fruits: 0 cups
- Calories: 55 calories
- Carbohydrates: 6 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
- Fat: 4 grams
- Sodium: 486 mg
Rate this recipe!
(3 votes, average: 2.67 out of 5)
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My daughter served these Christmas Eve with my homemade pasta. The lemons were from the lemon tree. Delish!!!
You can keep more of the nutrients in the beans if you steam them instead of boiling them.
I made mine similar to Rice a Roni; I fried the rice and pasta in sesame oil w/ fresh garlic, onion boiled those in Knorr’s Pollo chicken broth. I used the lemon zest and some red pepper flakes at the end -My family LOVED IT. Great recipe!