If you’re looking for a comforting side dish, try this recipe for Creamy Green Beans, in which tender green beans are lightly boiled and coated in a velvety, flavourful onion and garlic sauce. This dish is a creamy and satisfying addition to any meal. I will walk you step-by-step with photos and recipe tips, so you can easily make this dish and impress your guests, whether it’s a family dinner, Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter.
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Recipe Overview
Creamy Green Beans, also known as creamed green beans, are easy to make without using any canned ingredients.
The recipe features crisp and vibrant green beans that are lightly boiled until tender, then tossed in a luxurious creamy sauce infused with the savoury flavours of onion and garlic.
This comforting and visually appealing dish is a perfect accompaniment to a variety of main courses and is sure to become a favourite at your table. Great for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter or Sunday roast.
This green bean recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly. See just how easy it is to make below!
👉 If you’re looking for more delicious and impressive side dishes, try this my sautéed green beans with bacon, mushrooms & almonds, my cheesy leafy green salad, or roast pumpkin & beetroot salad with maple walnuts.
Ingredients You Will Need
Here is what you need to make this creamy green bean recipe:
- Green beans – also known as French beans, these are accessible throughout the year. Select green beans that are firm, vibrant in colour, and free from blemishes or wilting.
- Onions, garlic – regular yellow onion is used, however it can be swapped with shallots or red onion; fresh garlic is best but if not available, a teaspoon of garlic powder can be used.
- Olive oil – good quality olive oil is best for cooking the sauce.
- Cream – we used heavy cream, it contains more fat so it is slightly thicker and richer than half-n-half however, in this sauce, they can be interchanged in equal amounts. Both will give you that creamy texture we all love and crave.
- Sat, pepper and ground nutmeg (optional but adds a lovely nutty, earthy tones to the dish, this spice is great in creamy sauces)
- Lemon juice – a little splash to cut through the richness and add acidity.
How To Make Creamy Green Beans
Find the full recipe ingredients, steps and nutritional information below. Here are step-by-step pics to guide you along.
Step 1. Make the creamy sauce for beans. Over medium heat, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or a deep frying pan. Add the onions and ⅔ teaspoon of salt and saute for 7-8 minutes, until lightly browned, golden and translucent. Cooked this way, the onions will add a lot of lovely sweetness to the cream sauce. You can start on the green beans in the meantime.
Step 2. Prepare the green beans: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (use a kettle to speed up the process). Add the green beans and cook for 4 minutes until they are tender-crisp. Drain the green beans under cold water to retain their vibrant green colour. You can also plunge them in a bowl of ice water.
Step 3. Back to the sauce. Once the onions are softened, add the garlic, black pepper and nutmeg and stir through for 1 minute.
Step 4. Stir in the cream and butter and cook the sauce over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, letting it bubble away a little. Stir it frequently and watch it thicken slightly over time.
Step 5. Finally, add a little drizzle of lemon juice to introduce slight acidity to the sauce; this cuts down the richness.
Step 6. Add the green beans and stir through the creamy sauce; leave on the stove until they are properly reheated.
Transfer the creamy green beans to a serving dish. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley for a burst of colour and freshness. Serve hot as a delicious and satisfying side dish
What To Serve With Creamed Green Beans
Serve these creamy green beans alongside roasted chicken, grilled steak, or simple pan-fried fish for a well-rounded meal. As the dish is quite saucy, it’s a great side for meatballs or patties and goes well with quinoa, rice or pasta noodles to soak up the creamy deliciousness.
It’s a fabulous dish to add to your Thanksgiving or Christmas table.
Customise The Sauce
Feel free to experiment with adding your favourite herbs or spices to the sauce, such as thyme, paprika or basil. A tablespoon of tomato paste is a great addition and will introduce a lovely blush-pink colour. Sauteed mushrooms or bacon are a great addition as well.
For a dairy-free version, try making these with coconut cream instead.
More Green Bean Recipes
Full Recipe
Find the full list of ingredients, instructions, and a nutritional breakdown below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments, and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.
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Ingredients
- 450-500 grams green beans ends cut off (1 lb.)
- 1 large onion halved and sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic finely diced or minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Over medium heat, heat the olive oil in a large skillet/frying pan. Add the onions and ⅔ teaspoon of salt and saute for 7-8 minutes, until lightly browned, golden and translucent. Cooked this way, the onions will add a lot of lovely sweetness to the cream sauce.
- In the meantime, boil a kettle of water and trim the tail ends off the beans and add them to a medium pot. add another hald a teaspoon of salt and cover with boiling hot water. Pop on the stove, bring back to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the beans are tender to bite but still have a little resistance to bite and are still green. Drain under cold water, strain and set aside.
- Back to the sauce, once the onions are softened, add the garlic, black pepper and nutmeg and stir through for 1 minute.
- Stir in the cream and butter and cook the sauce over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, letting it bubble away a little. Stir it frequently and watch it thicken slightly over time.
- Finally, add a little drizzle of lemon juice to introduce slight acidity to the sauce; this cuts down the richness.
- Add the beans and stir through the sauce; leave on the stove until they are properly reheated.
The combination of tender green beans and a creamy sauce is a match made in heaven. The dish is bursting with flavor and the creaminess adds a luxurious touch. I can’t get enough of these delectable green beans!
These green beans are DELICIOUS! The sauce is perfection. Great recipe – I’ll be making this again for the holidays!
Green bean casserole is one of my favorite holiday dishes and this is like a more accessible version of that to make for any sort of weeknight dinner. I’m so excited to try these!
The onion and garlic sauce was out of this world good!
I made these green beans with dinner last night and they were fantastic! The heavy cream really sends them over the top!
Has anyone tried this with frozen green beans? Seems like it would work. Sometimes I can’t find beans that look good fresh
It would work. Blanch the frozen beans briefly to defrost and heat up and then stir into the creamy onions at the last minute.