Green beans are one of our favorite vegetables. Not only do they taste great, but you can cook them up and season them in so many different ways.
So last summer I was in one of those experimenting moods. Rather than make my standard, “go-to” green bean recipe, I decided to mix things up. I spied some red wine vinaigrette salad dressing on the kitchen counter, got out my wok, and voilà, I stir-fried up this new Green Bean recipe!
A few weeks later I decided to serve up my new green bean stir-fry creation for some friends who came over for dinner. Amazed at how great it tasted, one of my friends asked, “What do you call these beans? They’re super!” Caught a bit off guard, I quickly made something up—and that’s how these “Smashed Green Beans” got their name.
What’s smashed about them? I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s the secret ingredient—a little red wine vinaigrette dressing. Regardless, they sure do taste smashing, so definitely give them a try! 🙂
Cheers!
Bruce
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Smashed Green Beans
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 4 cups fresh green beans or haricot vert (cleaned and trimmed (about 12 oz.))
- 2–3 tablespoons red wine vinaigrette salad dressing
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Warm a 4-quart saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add oil and minced garlic. When the garlic gets aromatic, add the green beans and stir.
- Cook the green beans for 5-8 minutes or until they’ve reached your desired doneness. One minute before taking the green beans off the stove, stir in the salad dressing. Keep stirring until the beans are thoroughly coated.
- Remove green beans from the stove and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when possible.
If you prefer your green beans to have a more buttery flavor, feel free to substitute half of the oil with butter.
Frozen green beans can be substituted for fresh. Just add the frozen beans to the pan and cook until done. This will usually take about 3-4 minutes longer than fresh green beans.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Salads & Sides
Kitchen Tips and Resources:
- I love cooking up these beans in a wok. I have several different kinds, but I usually use my stainless steel wok to quickly stir-fry vegetables.
- Wooden spatulas and spoons work fine when stir-frying vegetables, but if you’ve ever tried a wok spatula, you’ll never want to go back—especially if you’re using a wok. I absolutely love mine!
