Green Beans with Shallots and Lemon
29 Comments
Updated Mar 21, 2023
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
Green beans with shallots and lemon are a healthy side dish you can whip up in just 15 minutes. They’re crispy and tender, and complement just about any main meal!
Don’t overlook a humble bag of green beans! In my opinion, they make for one of the best savory side dishes. They’re easy to cook and come out crisp and tender every time.
And while I love making my air fryer green beans, sautéing them on the stovetop is equally delicious. All you need to do is add shallots, honey, and lemon to take it up a notch!
How To Prep Green Beans
Before we get to cooking, green beans (also known as string beans) need to be quickly trimmed. Just slice off the ends with a knife or by hand. If the ends are already detached, then you can skip this step and go straight to blanching.
How To Boil and Sauté Green Beans
To get the beans cooked through and tender, just give them a quick blanch in boiling water before sautéeing. Here’s the process:
- Blanch the green beans in a pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
- Cool and drain. Transfer the green beans in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Once cool, drain and set aside.
- Heat the butter (or oil) in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add in the diced shallots and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add honey for a little sweetness and stir for a minute more.
- Transfer the green beans and lemon zest to the pan and mix well. Season with salt, pepper, and serve!
Want more garnish options? While lemon zest is one way of dressing up your green beans, you can garnish with a few other ingredients to spice it up or add some texture. Just use:
- Toasted almond slices
- Crushed pistachios
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Crispy bacon bits
- Chili Flakes or powder
What To Eat With Them?
Sautéed green beans have a simple fresh flavor, which makes them perfect for pairing with any savory main course. A few of my favorite options are:
- Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Sweet and Smoky Brisket
- Cabernet Braised Short Ribs
- Prime Rib
- Dijon Baked Salmon
If you have a lot of green beans, you can also turn them into a healthy green bean casserole!
Green Beans with Shallots and Lemon
Description
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 1 tbsp butter, or olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 lemon, zested
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the green beans and blanch in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes. While the beans are cooking, fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain the beans with a colander and immediately transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside.
- Heat the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced shallots and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the honey to the pan and stir with the shallots for a minute more.
- Add the green beans and lemon zest to the pan and stir together for a couple of minutes, until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted October 2014, but updated to include new photos and information.
I never had green but had yellow beans and the recipe turned out what I would believe just as nummy. I have never encountered a site I love so much as yours, so I thank you. All the recipes that we have ever tried, lol daily, my boys have always approved. Your page is saved right on my home page and whatever kid has meal prep with mum that night knows exactly where to go to explore and create.
I’m glad this recipe worked out great with yellow beans! Happy to hear you and your family are enjoying Downshiftology recipes as well, Vanessa.
Yum, Yum… easy recipe. I used 1 shallot in the recipe and will use 2 next time per the recipe. Very quick to pull together. I made the Green Beans per your suggestion with the trout almondine recipe( I subbed flounder though). Both are quick and easy. I also made your Kale salad recipe. All 3 were a big hit. My family loved them. Thank you.
Hi Hollis – Glad you and your family enjoyed this green bean recipe with the trout almondine!
Delicious! They were a yummy side dish at Thanksgiving, a nice balance to the heavier food. They also heated up really well the next day. I will be making them again!
Yes, a green veggie side dish is a must at Thanksgiving! Happy you loved them!
Delish! Actually used frozen whole organic green beans from Costco and it turns out delicious. Thanks for another great recipe!
Oh perfect! Happy you loved it!
Excelentes y prácticas tus recetas,Lisa,felicidades!!!
I made these green beans for the first time to serve at my family’s Easter dinner. They are a bunch of foodies, so I was hopeful the simplicity of this dish would still deliver the punch of flavor I had hoped for. I doubled the recipe, blanched the beans for 5 minutes, and added a couple tablespoons of chicken bone broth to make all the zest and shallots stick to the beans. I also toasted some sliced almonds for garnish and crunch on top as well. They were absolutely delicious, and I’ll definitely serve these again!!
Great way to cook and enjoy crisp (not wilted) green beans with loads of flavor!
Delicious. So easy and love that it is make ahead friendly.
Made this yesterday with the garlic grilled shrimp skewers and got rave reviews. Such a lovely way to jazz up veggies as a side dish. Green beans can sometimes be a bit bland, but this is so delicious. Thanks Lisa for the inspiration!
Wonderful! Glad you loved this green bean side dish Babette :)
Finally posting my first review! I had some green beans that needed to be used up and this recipe did not dissapoint! So easy and delicious!! The zest brings out so much flavor. However I did have to sub the honey bc I ran put for a fig jam I had and it was still delicious! Thank you for the recipe Lisa
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Jess! Using lemon is always a great way to brighten up any dish :)
Wow, great recipe!! Boys and hubby liked!
Wonderful! Glad the whole family was able to enjoy this recipe Megan.
This is my favorite green bean recipe!
I love how blanching intensifies and preserves the color while sautéing the beans makes for a great texture and taste!!
Hi Jamie – Glad you loved this green bean recipe! It’s a classic to keep on hand when you need to bring some greens to the table.
YUMmmmmmmm! Great recipe – thanks so much for sharing.
You’re more than welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed the green beans recipe! :)
How would you recommend making this a day ahead?(prepping for Thanksgiving)
Hi Mary – You can go ahead and cook this the day before and store it in the fridge. Just give it a quick stir-fry in the pan one more time right before serving. Or I might suggest to just prep the green beans (blanch) the day before and then sautée it the day of right before serving. That way it tastes more fresh and you’ll get a more crisp texture :)
Would it work to steam the beans instead of blanching them?
Yes, no problem!
Geat Recipe!! Made this for dinner tonight and everyone enjoyed it. Definitely will make this frequently!!
Thanks Wendell – So glad you enjoyed the green beans recipe :)