Steamed Fresh Green Beans

Good steamed green beans start with good fresh beans. Look for green beans that are uniformly green, plump and free of spots and blemishes. Larger beans may be less tender and sweet than smaller beans. Green beans are readily available year-round, but they are at their peak freshness from early summer to early fall.

Remove the stem end of the green beans before steaming. You can snap off each individual stem or cut off a few ends at a time by lining them up on a cutting board to save time. We prefer to steam our green beans whole. You can leave them long, or cut them into pieces once they're steamed and cooled.

Green beans steam in a steamer basket on the stove for 5-7 minutes. Opt for less time if you want to preserve more of their crispness. You can also steam green beans in the microwave.

Steamed green beans are versatile. They can be their own side dish by simply tossing them in butter or oil, chopped fresh herbs, or chopped and toasted nuts. Salt and pepper enhance their flavor, as does a squeeze of lemon juice. You can cool and chop steamed green beans and add them to a green or composed salad or potato salad. Steaming green beans is just one way to enjoy this tender-crisp vegetable. Check out more ways to cook green beans here.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer