If you’re looking for a delicious new veg recipe, you’ve just found it. Green Beans With Lemon Butter Sauce is such a flavourful side that will go well with so many of your favourite dishes. Beautifully vibrant green beans, sharp lemon, pungent garlic, rich butter and intense flavour from stock make this side dish recipe a superstar at any meal!
The beauty of this is the sauce that’s glossy with butter and so flavourful. It really ties everything together and makes your average, everyday, humble green beans a lot more interesting on the palate.
This recipe feeds 2 to 4 people, but it wouldn’t be too much trouble to double the quantities or even triple them to feed more people. If you want to make this recipe vegetarian or pescatarian, simply use vegetable stock rather than chicken stock. If you need it to be gluten-free, just be sure the stock concentrate or cubes you’re using are gluten-free. Let’s get started!
Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients
- 400g extra fine green beans, ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon (keep the lemon juice for later)
- 100ml strong chicken or vegetable stock made from a stock pot or cube
- 30g butter
- Salt & pepper
- Lemon wedges for serving (optional)
Method
- Cook the green beans in a saucepan of boiling water until just tender and strain well.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the lemon zest & garlic and cook stirring for a minute or until the garlic softens taking care not to burn it.
- Add the chicken stock and simmer for 2 minutes or so, allowing it to bubble and reduce slightly and then toss in the butter and stir to melt & combine it all together. You should end up with a glossy looking sauce that almost resembles a scant gravy.
- Throw in the beans and toss them around until they are all completely coated in the sauce. If it seems too dry, add more water only a little at a time. You don’t want it to be runny, but to have the glossy sauce clinging to the beans.
- Before serving, season with a little salt & pepper and squeeze some of the zested lemon over the beans just lightly to revive them a bit. Serve hot with lemon wedges to garnish (optional).
