Healthy Green Bean Side Dish Recipes

Now everyone can enjoy classic Thanksgiving favorites, like this dairy-free green bean casserole. We make a homemade vegan cream of mushroom soup using almond milk for the creamy base that's combined with fresh green beans. Top it off with classic french-fried onions (we have a vegan recipe for that, too!) for a side dish everyone will devour.

Skip greasy takeout and try this easy stir-fried green beans recipe. If you don't have a wok, you can make these stir-fried green beans just as well in a skillet.

In the southern Appalachian Mountains, green beans were cooked at the back of the stove in a bacon-seasoned broth with new potatoes added in the final part of the long, slow process. The result is a vegetable dish so imbued with meaty flavor that it was regularly served as the main part of an otherwise meatless meal with slaw, fresh tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, raw onion and cornbread. Here the meaty flavor in this vegetarian green bean recipe is created without pork by using smoked Spanish paprika and olive oil. Look for smoked paprika with other spices in well-stocked supermarkets.

Tender-crisp green beans tossed with creamy blue cheese and topped with toasted walnuts pair well with grilled steak or chicken.

Whoever said potato salad needs to be cold? For this warm version, new potatoes are roasted right alongside green beans, then tossed in a tangy champagne vinegar and Gorgonzola dressing. If you like, you can toss in some baby arugula.

A much healthier take on the old-fashioned green bean casserole, this version thankfully skips the canned soup and fried onions! Fresh green beans are cooked until crisp-tender and topped with a garlicky-thyme mushroom sauce, shallots and crumbled chèvre.

Our go-to trick for this crunchy, mustardy vegan side dish: Use a grill basket--it lets you cook all the things that would ordinarily fall through the grill grates, no skewering required. Pick one up from the hardware store or order one online for less than $15.

We cook then cool the beans in advance so they can be heated up and seasoned moments before the meal. If you don't like tarragon, substitute dill or leave it out completely.

Sizzling green beans in a little oil helps to bring out their natural sweetness. Prosciutto, pine nuts and lemon zest dress up the flavor without adding a lot of fat--a nice alternative to full-fat, creamy green bean casseroles.

Grilling green beans before tossing them in the marinade softens them up, helping them to absorb more of the flavor. Serve them as is or toss into a green salad.

A slimmed-down white sauce makes this creamy green bean casserole side dish recipe low fat.

Sautéed onions, garlic powder and red pepper add plenty of flavor to canned green beans to make an easy and economical side for your Thanksgiving table or any other dinner.

Soaking red onion in cold water helps mellow its raw bite while leaving its appealing crunch. This easy potato salad recipe is great at room temperature or chilled. If you're not planning on serving it right away, keep the dressing separate until you're ready to serve.

These tender-crisp lemon-garlic green beans have tons of flavor from shallots, garlic and the tangy lemon. It's the perfect simple green bean side dish that pairs well with everything.

This marinated vegetable salad recipe is a colorful composed salad inspired by the classic Italian giardiniera. Serve on a platter as is or on a bed of crisp greens. For a heartier appetizer or light lunch, add 1/2 cup each diced salami and hard cheese, such as Provolone or even white Cheddar, to the mix.

This versatile and easy side dish is a tasty way to showcase green beans. We boil the beans briefly before sautéing for perfectly crisp-tender vegetables that don't get mushy.

Capers, juicy tomatoes, and chopped fresh parsley make this vegetable side dish flavorful enough for a special meal, but easy enough for everyday.

Here's a new way to delight your green-bean-loving guests. The genius of this easy green bean recipe is in the dressing, which is made with savory oil that has also been used to fry shallots and garlic.

Pistachios are a relatively recent addition to commercial agriculture in New Mexico, where abundant sunshine makes them easy to grow. New Mexican chef and five-time James Beard Award semifinalist Jonathan Perno showcases them in an otherwise straightforward green bean dish. The nuts and roasted beans create a toasty flavor that blends beautifully with the chile-infused turkey and potatoes.

This green bean recipe is impressive-looking but simple to make. The bundles make a wonderful addition to a holiday table or a fun presentation to liven up any dinner party menu.

A simple combo of fresh parsley, garlic and lemon zest adds bright flavor to green beans for an easy, make-ahead side. Make even quicker work of the gremolata in Step 2 by pulsing the ingredients in a food processor instead of chopping by hand.

A rich browned butter and white wine sauce updates this holiday mainstay. Haricots verts are French-style green beans that are slender and delicate. You can usually find bags of them in the produce section. The packaged beans are often trimmed, which saves time. You can sub traditional green beans; steam those about 2 minutes longer in Step 1.

Enjoy green bean casserole fritter-style in this new twist on a classic Thanksgiving favorite. The traditional ingredients are all there, but instead of baking in a casserole dish, these green beans are turned into fritters that bake in the oven and get topped with creamy yogurt and french-fried onions. Feel free to add a bit of crumbled bacon on top too if you'd like!

The addition of toasted pecans gives this French way with string beans a bit of crunch and sweetness as well as a touch of the American South. Try using slender haricots verts for a different twist. This recipe is perfect for a Kwanzaa celebration; read more in "Why the Karamu Feast Is My Favorite Part of Kwanzaa—and a Simple Menu to Celebrate".