For most of my cooking years, I’ve made green beans pretty sparingly, but always cooked them the same way — steamed and then topped off with a pat of butter and a squeeze of lemon. But about a year ago, my daughter suddenly decided that she absolutely loved green beans and since I definitely want to encourage any enthusiasm about a vegetable, we’ve been eating them a lot more often and in a lot of new ways. One of my favorite ways is like this — where they’re slowly simmered in bacon and onion and broth until they’re transformed into a tender and savory treat.
What Do You Need To Make Southern-Style Green Beans?
Not a lot! It’s a reasonably simple side. You’ll need:
- Bacon. Thick sliced, please.
- Yellow onion.
- Garlic.
- Red pepper flake.
- Green beans, about two pounds, that you’ll want to trim and then chop in half.
- Chicken broth.
- Butter.
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick bacon, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
- 2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed and chopped in half
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside, but do not clean out pot.
- Add onion to pot and cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flake and cook until fragrant, just about 1 minute.
- Add green beans, chicken broth, and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer until green beans are very tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Check liquid level occasionally and add more broth if needed.
- Add butter and bacon to the pot and stir to combine until butter has melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Enjoy!
