Toss Green Beans In Brown Butter For A Deliciously Rich Side Dish

On their own, green beans are rarely the star of the show. Sure, they feature in a casserole here and a soup there, but the earthy, somewhat bitter taste of the beans isn't always spectacular enough for the main event. However, when dressed up, green beans are worthy of a second or third helping. To add flavor to green beans, all you need is some brown butter.

When butter is cooked down slightly past its melting point, it becomes toasted, taking on a toffee color and a nutty, sweet flavor. Browned butter is known to bring richness to chocolate chip cookies or pasta sauce, but it's incredible for veggies, too. The sauce imparts a decadent, rich taste when green beans are tossed in it after cooking.

Delicious and simple, top these nutty green beans off with garlic or slivered almonds for an even nuttier flavor. Serve with herb-roasted chicken or an equally as rich pan-seared steak dressed with a brown butter sauce.

After rinsing the green beans, chop the stems off the ends. Bring salted water to a boil and toss the green beans in. Once the green beans are bright and slightly tender, drain them and blanch them in an ice water bath. While the green beans are blanching, heat some unsalted butter in a skillet.

If you want, you can add minced garlic, chopped hazelnuts, or shallots to the butter, which will give the green beans a more complex taste. While the butter is melting down and the aromatics are sizzling in it, drain the green beans and thoroughly pat them dry. When the butter starts to deepen in color and smell, add the green beans to the pan.

Give the skillet a good toss, ensuring that your brown butter is properly coating all the green beans. Add salt and pepper to taste, as well as a squeeze of lemon juice. Remove the green beans from the skillet and enjoy what's sure to be your new favorite way to eat this veggie.