Green beans are a favorite of mine – grilled, roasted, steamed, sauteed – always delicious and enjoyed by the kids. But sometimes I crave them softer and more unctuous, and only a long-cooking time can coax out that level of flavor. I made these for Sunday dinner a few days ago, and served them alongside a baked ham. There’s an element of nostalgia in a meal like this…it’s comforting, delicious and feels like home – all on a plate of simple food.
Southern-style Green Beans
Author:
Serves: 8
I was a little apprehensive to make these beans for my kids, because they loathe mushy food, so instead of the classic mushy green beans, I sought to find the middle ground and I was successful! These beans have all the flavor of long-simmered, but I only cooked them for 45 minutes, so they still retained texture and shape. Happy cooking!
Ingredients
- 6 sliced Bacon, chopped
- 1 Onion, yellow, sliced thin
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 6 cups Chicken broth, low-sodium or homemade
- 2 lbs. Green beans, trimmed
- Additional salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat, add the bacon and stir while it starts to render fat. Once you start to see some bacon fat, add the onions and Kosher salt.
- Reduce heat to low and let the bacon and onion slowly cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until onion is lightly browned.
- Add chicken stock and green beans to the pot. Mix in with bacon and onion, and cover the pot.
- Cook for 45 minutes – 1 hour, until beans are soft. If you prefer them softer, continue to cook until the texture is to your liking.
- Taste the beans and add salt and pepper if desired. I like to add another 1/2 tsp Kosher salt at this point. Serve immediately.
