Salads
Green Beans, served with Lemon and Feta
Crisp cooked green beans topped with lemon and feta is a flavorful side dish that looks impressive but it's so straightforward to mix.
At a glance
What stands out: Crisp cooked green beans topped with lemon and feta is a flavorful side dish that looks impressive but it’s so straightforward to mix.
How long it takes: 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: skillet
Servings: 4
One of the things we look forward to most during the spring and summer months is heading to the farmers’ market or to local farms to pick up fresh produce. Fresh green beans are always on the top of our list.
Any way we cook them, lightly steamed, roasted or boiled, the green beans are always rich. The key to this recipe is to just barely cook the beans so they’re still nice and crisp. The last thing you want is mushy green beans, especially when they are farm fresh.
Bonnie D. Said:
“This recipe is wonderful …this is how we typically make green beans now. Thank you for the recipe!”
See More Reader ReviewsThese green beans with lemon and feta make an memorable side dish but we like to have them for a light lunch, too. They taste great hot, warm or cold, and are unbelievably straightforward to prepare.
Are you a green bean fan? Be sure to check out our popular roasted green beans, green beans almondine, or our green bean casserole!
- Yield: 4
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Cook: 5 minutes
- Total: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fresh green beans
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
- kosher salt
- coarse ground black pepper
Method
- Put about ½ inch of water into a medium-sized sauté pan. Add salt to the water if desired. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. While it's heating up, snip the stem end off the green beans and rinse them.
- Add beans, cover the pan, and continue to cook on medium-high for 4 to 5 minutes or until fork tender but still crisp. Drain and return the beans to the pan.
- Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and toss to coat. Arrange the green beans on a platter, and sprinkle with feta cheese and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately (see note).
Notes
Cooking tip: we've found that people have varying opinions about how much time to cook beans. A standby way to know if the beans have cooked long enough for you is to try one. If it’s too crisp yet, cook the beans a little longer. More mature beans take longer to cook, too.
Serving suggestion: The green beans are rich served at room temperature. If you’re aren’t planning on serving them immediately, reserve the lemon juice and feta until you’re ready to serve. The lemon juice tends to discolor the beans, turning them an olive color rather than bright green.
Lemon zest; If you’re liking the lemon flavor, zest the lemon before you juice it and sprinkle the zest on the beans, too. Lemon zest will not discolor the beans but still add a nice lemony flavor.
