Buttery Green Beans & Pine Nuts

Historically, green beans are the one vegetable I have loathed. We frequent Texas Road House for date night and 8 out of 10 visits, Caleb orders the green beans. Me, I order anything that doesn’t touch the bean that is green.

I don’t know what it is about them that has made me look the other way but I have to tell you, no one told me about green beans when they’re pretty much smothered in butter. That is a completely different level. AND, I am here for it.

These green beans completely changed my perception. They are ready in a pinch, feel fancy enough to serve to company, and so incredibly addicting. Like, eat with your fingers over the stove– addicting.

Now, I had to learn how to cook these little pods. Then, I had to play with the different methods. From roasting, to french cut in a skillet, one thing is certain; the far easiest method is to simply boil them until they turn bright green and then cool them in an ice bath.

The ice bath is the trick. Because green beans can quickly overcook, transferring them to an ice water filled bowl prevents this by quickly cooling them down.

While everything is better with a little melted ghee or butter, that’s just the icing. The cherry to this recipe are the toasted pine nuts. If you’re not able to use pine nuts, that’s okay! Simply swap them out for sliced almonds and keep on rolling.

Pine nuts are the edible seeds of the pine trees. Due to the labor incurred when gathering these fancy little seeds, the price tends to be steep. A little goes a long way so before committing to the large bag, check your grocer’s baking aisle. Often times you can find them in a smaller quantity, ~1/2 cup, for less than $4-$5.

Buttery Green Beans & Pine Nuts

A simple, yet elevated, green bean recipe perfect for family dinners and holidays.

1-2 pinches sea salt
1 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon melted ghee or grass-fed butter
2 tablespoons pine nuts

Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water.
Bring a large stockpot filled with water to a rolling boil.
Add 1-2 pinched of sea salt to the water and add green beans. Continue cooking until green beans are bright in color, about 5 minutes. While the beans are cooking, begin toasting the pine nuts.
To toast the pine nuts, bring a small skillet to medium-low heat. Add the pine nuts to the warm skillet. Let the pine nuts toast on one "side" for about 1 minute. With a spatula, stir the pine nuts around the pan. Continue toasting for about 30 more seconds. Remove and place aside.
Once the green beans are bright in color and tender, transfer them to the ice bath. This will prevent them from continuing to cook. Once cooled, stain the green beans.
To assemble, place green beans in a bowl or serving dish of choice, pour the melted ghee over them, and lightly salt with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Gently toss together with a fork. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over beans before serving.