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Home » Recipes

Fresh Green Beans With Tomatoes, Garlic, and Chili Recipe

May 10, 2023Last Modified: May 11, 2023

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This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about a Fresh Green Beans With Tomatoes, Garlic, and Chili Recipe!

Green beans with tomatoes and garlic in a white bowl.

My life changed when I discovered this great way of enjoying the humble green bean. I was introduced to an Italian green bean dish that included rich and flavorful tomatoes along with garlic in the book "Elizabeth David on Vegetables."

Jump to:
  • The Inspiration For This Easy Recipe
  • Why You Will Love This Recipe
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • Suggestions For Serving
  • FAQ
  • Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!
  • Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
  • Fresh Green Beans With Tomatoes, Garlic, and Chili Recipe

The Inspiration For This Easy Recipe

Elizabeth David was a British cookery writer who revolutionized cooking in her country.  She lived in many different countries, including Italy, and learned about the local cuisines where she lived.  How thrilling it must have been for her to share her knowledge of simple and delicious Italian and Mediterranean foods that she learned abroad with her countrymen.

Ms. David's sublime recipe, which inspired the green bean recipe you find here, is called "Haricots verts a l'italienne," or green beans with tomatoes and garlic.

I have adapted Ms. David's recipe to include fresh chili and butter, which she doesn't include in her recipe.  But I have used her same technique of first boiling and then sautéing the green beans.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

You will absolutely adore this recipe.  Let me entice you with this:

  • This dish is pure magic.  It's amazing how a few simple ingredients can combine to give you what I think is the most delicious way of enjoying green beans
  • The prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is only 11 minutes, so you can have this simple side dish on your table ready to enjoy in less than half and hour
  • The cooking process is easy and you'll get great tasting results every time

Are you ready to indulge in this delicious and easy side dish?  If so, then allow me to tell you what you'll need to make this delightful dish!

🥘 Ingredients

Green beans in a white bowl, and bowls containing Italian peeled tomatoes, butter, salt and pepper, olive oil, and garlic and chili.

The simple ingredients you will need for this dish can be found at most grocery stores. This perfect side dish requires the following ingredients:

  • Fresh green beans
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Butter
  • Tomatoes and tomato sauce
  • Fresh garlic cloves
  • Chili (optional but oh so good!) - I used a red Thai chili for this dish
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

This great recipe deserves the best quality ingredients for the best results. So, I highly recommend that you use Italian San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes for this dish.

San Marzano Tomatoes are a great quality tomato with amazing flavor. They cost a little more, but I think you'll agree with me that the extra cost is worth it.

The fresh chili is a wonderful addition to this dish. I love using Thai chilies, but if you want to add some spice and don't have Thai chilies, you can sub a few red pepper flakes.

So now on to the super easy instructions!

🔪 Instructions

To begin, if you are using Italian peeled tomatoes, use some kitchen scissors or a spoon to break them up until you have a nice chunky sauce. Set this aside for a future step.

Italian peeled tomatoes in a glass bowl with a pair of Wusthof kitchen scissors poised over one of the tomatoes.
Cut the whole tomatoes with scissors or break them up with a spoon.
Tomatoes and tomato sauce in a glass bowl.
Here's your lovely chunky tomatoes and sauce!

Add a teaspoon salt and bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Now add topped and tailed green beans, and boil gently for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Green beans in boiling water in a large pot.

Now add the butter and olive oil to the large pot on a medium heat, and heat until the butter has melted.

Melting butter and olive oil in a large pot.

Add the boiled green beans, the tomatoes, chili, minced garlic, and the salt and pepper.

A large pot containing melted butter and olive oil with green beans, tomatoes, minced garlic and chili, and salt and pepper.
Such beautiful colors!

Stir everything well and then cook this for around 6 minutes on a medium to a medium-low heat. Cook this for a few minutes longer is you prefer the beans to be more tender. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if you desire.

Green beans with tomatoes and garlic in a large pot. There is a blue slotted spoon with a wooden handle in the pot.

Your very tasty beans are now ready to enjoy! Place them in a beautiful serving bowl and admire them on your dinner table before digging in!

Suggestions For Serving

Green beans with tomatoes and garlic in a white bowl.

This Italian style sautéed green beans dish will delight your taste buds! I love serving this as a side to accompany Italian main course dishes such as Chicken Scallopini or Veal Parmigiana.

By the way, a splash of balsamic vinegar wouldn't go amiss. 😉

This is such a great vegetable side dish for busy weeknights. I hope you and your family will enjoy these green beans time and time again!

FAQ

Do you need to salt the water when blanching or boiling green beans?

It's a good idea to add salt to water when blanching or boiling green beans to add flavor.

How do you perk up green beans?

Perking up green beans is as simple as adding seasoning, garlic, butter, and some very flavorful tomatoes! This is Italian style green beans and they are so flavorful you may not want to have them any other way!

How do I store any leftover green beans?

Store leftover green beans in an airtight container in your fridge, and consume within 3-4 days.

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!

Here are some other recipes you may enjoy:

  • Delicious Veal Parmigiana Recipe
  • Italian Broccoli Recipe With Garlic and Lemon
  • Italian Peas and Ham Frozen Peas Recipe

Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!

I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.

Cheers!

Grace

Green beans with tomatoes and garlic in a white bowl.

Fresh Green Beans With Tomatoes, Garlic, and Chili Recipe

Grace
Green beans never tasted so good! This Fresh Green Beans With Tomatoes, Garlic, and Chili Recipe is delicious and makes the perfect easy side dish!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 11 minutes mins
Total Time 21 minutes mins
Course Side Dish, vegetable side dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people
Calories 46 kcal

Equipment

  • large pot to boil the beans

Ingredients
  

  • ½ lb fresh green beans topped and tailed
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ⅓ cup tomatoes and sauce it's highly recommended to use San Marzano Italian peeled tomatoes. If using these, cut them up with scissors or a spoon until you have a nice chunky sauce. You can also use a good quality diced tomato product.
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
  • 1 chili minced; this is optional but including the chili adds a lovely bit of heat! I used one Thai chili for this recipe, but you can sub another chili or some red pepper flakes
  • ¼ ts salt plus additional teaspoon for salting the water and any extra to taste
  • ⅛ ts pepper plus additional to taste

Instructions
 

  • If you are using Italian peeled tomatoes, use some kitchen scissors or a spoon to break them up until you have a nice chunky sauce. Set this aside for a future step.
    Italian peeled tomatoes in a glass bowl with a pair of Wusthof kitchen scissors poised over one of the tomatoes.
  • Add a teaspoon salt and bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Now add topped and tailed green beans, and boil gently for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
    Green beans in boiling water in a large pot.
  • Now add the butter and olive oil to the large pot on a medium heat, and heat until the butter has melted.
    Melting butter and olive oil in a large pot.
  • Add the boiled green beans, the tomatoes, chili, garlic, and the salt and pepper.
    A large pot containing melted butter and olive oil with green beans, tomatoes, minced garlic and chili, and salt and pepper.
  • Stir everything well and then cook this for around 6 minutes on a medium to a medium-low heat. Cook this for a few minutes longer is you prefer the beans to be more tender. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if you desire.
    Green beans with tomatoes and garlic in a large pot. There is a blue slotted spoon with a wooden handle in the pot.

Notes

I highly recommend using a high quality tomato such as Italian San Marzano peeled tomatoes for this dish.  These tomatoes cost a little more, but the flavor is so so much better I think you'll agree that it's worth it. 
Enjoy this easy and delicious side dish with your favorite mains!  
 

Nutrition

Calories: 46kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0.4mgSodium: 183mgPotassium: 205mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 528IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
Keyword green beans
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About Me

Hi I’m Grace! I'm married and a mom to my fur baby, Toby, and food and travel are two of my greatest passions! Since our bank account does not allow us to travel or eat out as much as we'd like, I decided I would cook delicious meals that could give us a taste of all the places we'd like to go. My goal is to get you in the kitchen, and inspire you to cook and taste delightful meals that will transport you too. Let’s throw some actual travel in from time to time, all with an emphasis on keeping your wallet full and happy as well. Let’s get cooking and let’s start exploring!! I'm excited to be on this journey with you!!

By the way most of these recipes are Toby taste tested and Toby approved!!

Chief Taste Tester Toby

Toby Chief Taste Tester

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