Sunday dinner is a bit of a big deal in my family. Growing up it was always the “big meal” of the week, when my mom made things like roast beef with potatoes and Yorkshire pudding and homemade gravy and always dessert. Always. Calories don’t count for Sunday dinner (right?) and we go all out.
I’m not sure which matriarch of my family started this tradition, but I know for sure that my Grandma solidified it. My family is BIG on tradition (sing it with me… Tra-di-tion, tradition….. tradition!) and I love it! I really do – the holidays and the specific things that we eat on specific days and how we celebrate birthdays.
I also love Sunday naps. And Sundays full of reading on the couch. And Sundays most importantly not full of doing a thousand dishes. So I want a nice traditional Sunday dinner but I gotta get in my Sunday nap too. Enter these green beans.
These green beans were a discovery from one of my favorite cookbooks –Genius Recipes from the amazing folks at Food52. Green beans are always something my grocery store has a heaping mound of no matter the season, so we eat quite a few of them. Or maybe we eat so many of them because of this recipe. Either way, good things are happening here.
Like that these beans are super hands-off. All I have to do is snip off the ends, throw them in a pan, and stir a couple times. I don’t even need a cutting board (read: less dishes).
Oh and that they don’t have any ‘special’ ingredients in them that I’m not going to have on hand. Beans + olive oil + salt + an optional splash of vinegar at the end. This is at about the same level as throwing a bag of steamable green beans in the microwave but like 10,000 times better.
Oh and, most importantly, the taste. These beans . . . I didn’t know a green bean could taste like this. The nuanced flavor is nothing that I thought could be coaxed from said vegetable, and I like green beans normally! They’ll go perfectly with your roast or your chicken or your lasagna or your boxed mac and cheese if that’s what your Sunday dinner looks like. No judgment here.
So if you too want your Sunday nap and a traditional BIG Sunday dinner (or a quick-and-easy weeknight vegetable side because that’s a whole other problem), make these beans. You’ll thank me later 🙂
Sunday Dinner Green Beans
Recipe adapted slightly from Food52's Genius Recipes (see recipe notes for link)
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh green beans
- 1 TBL olive oil
- splash apple cider vinegar optional
- sea salt, to taste
Instructions
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In a large saute pan that has a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. While your pan is heating, snip the ends off your beans. (I just snip off the end that was attached to the plant - you do what works for you.) When your pan is hot, add the beans. Don't stir, just let them sit for a little bit.
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After a few minutes, give the beans a good stir. You'll probably see a few charred spots on the parts that were touching the pan - this is what you want. Let them sit a minute or two longer, then stir again, letting the beans get charred in a few more spots.
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Turn the heat down to low and cover. This is where the magic happens! Let the beans steam for 20 minutes or so, stirring every 5-ish minutes. Don't worry too much about them, though - they'll be fine.
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Once your beans are done to your liking, uncover, crank the heat up to high. Once your pan is hot (your beans will probably be sizzling), add in the splash of vinegar and let it reduce. Season to taste with salt and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Genius Recipes by Kristen Miglore of Food52