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There are two kinds of green beans in this country and they do not get along. One is bright green and crisp, steamed for four minutes, and it squeaks against your teeth. The other is the Southern kind: cooked low and slow in a covered pot with butter and onion until the beans are tender all the way through, a soft olive green, and taste like they spent the whole afternoon on the stove, because they did. My mother made the second kind, a big pot of them for every Sunday dinner, and she said the first kind was raw. She tried the crisp way exactly once, because a cooking show on television told her to, and my father pushed them around his plate and asked whether the stove was broken.
The trick is time and very little water. Most people who try to cook green beans soft drown them in a pot of water and boil them gray. That is not it. The beans go into melted butter and soft onion with only a cup of chicken broth, the lid goes on, and the heat goes to low. They cook in their own steam, slowly, for an hour and a quarter. Then the lid comes off for the last fifteen minutes so the broth cooks down to almost nothing and the butter clings to every bean. A teaspoon of sugar rounds out the flavor. They come out tender and savory and you will want a piece of cornbread to wipe the pot.
Why this Southern green beans works
- Low heat, lid on. The beans steam gently in a small amount of broth and soften all the way through without turning to mush.
- Butter and onion first. The onion cooks soft and sweet in the butter before the beans go in, which is where the flavor comes from.
- Lid off at the end. Fifteen minutes uncovered reduces the broth so the beans are glossy, not swimming.
- A teaspoon of sugar. It balances the salt and the green taste of the beans, the old Southern way.
Ingredients
Serves 8 as a side dish. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
- 2 pounds fresh green beans (900g), ends snapped off, broken in two
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (56g)
- 1 onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups, 160g)
- 1 cup chicken broth (240ml)
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (4g)
Fresh beans are best, the bigger, older pole beans too, since long cooking suits them. Frozen cut green beans work: skip the snapping and cut the covered cooking time to 50 minutes.
How to make Southern green beans
- Rinse the green beans, snap off the stem ends and break each bean in two.
- Melt the 4 tablespoons butter in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the sliced onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and turning golden at the edges.
- Add the green beans, the 1 cup chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir so the beans are coated in the butter.
- Put the lid on and turn the heat to low. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring now and then. The beans should simmer gently, never boil hard. If the pot ever looks dry, add a splash of broth.
- Take the lid off and cook for the last 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the broth has cooked down to almost nothing and the beans are glossy with butter.
- Taste one bean. It should be tender all the way through. Adjust the salt and pepper before the beans go into the serving bowl.
Tips that make the difference
- Use a heavy pot. A thin pot scorches on the bottom during the long cooking.
- Keep the heat truly low. You want a gentle simmer under the lid, not a boil.
- Do not add more broth than the recipe says. The beans give off their own water.
- Salt at the end too. Long-cooked beans can take more seasoning than you expect.
Variations
- With new potatoes. Add 1 pound small new potatoes (450g), halved, at the start. They cook in the same buttery broth and my father said they were the best part.
- Smoked flavor. A pinch of smoked paprika with the onion gives a smoky note.
- With garlic. Two cloves of sliced garlic cooked with the onion.
- Slow cooker. Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours, then leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes.
Storage and make-ahead
Cooked-down green beans keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for 4 days and taste even better on the second day.
Reheat them in a saucepan over low heat with a spoonful of water or broth, or in the microwave.
They freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat gently.
Frequently asked questions
Why are Southern green beans cooked so long?
Long, slow cooking makes them tender all the way through and lets them soak up the flavor of the butter, onion and broth. Southern cooks consider crisp green beans undercooked.
Do Southern green beans turn mushy?
Not when they cook covered on low heat in a small amount of liquid. They turn soft and tender but hold their shape.
Can I make them ahead?
Yes, they are a perfect make-ahead side. Cook them a day ahead, refrigerate, and reheat gently before serving.
Can I use canned green beans?
You can, drained, with just 1/2 cup broth and 30 minutes of covered cooking, but fresh or frozen beans have a much better texture.
Butter, onion, a cup of broth, a low flame and an afternoon. That is all a green bean ever wanted.
Southern Green Beans Cooked Down Soft with Butter and Onion
Old-fashioned Southern green beans: two pounds of fresh beans cooked low and slow with butter, onion, a cup of chicken broth and a teaspoon of sugar, lid on for an hour, lid off for 15 minutes. Exact amounts and timing for tender, full-flavored beans.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans (900g), ends snapped off, broken in two
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the green beans, snap off the stem ends and break each bean in two.
- Melt the 4 tablespoons butter in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the sliced onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and turning golden at the edges.
- Add the green beans, the 1 cup chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir so the beans are coated in the butter.
- Put the lid on and turn the heat to low. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring now and then. The beans should simmer gently, never boil hard. If the pot ever looks dry, add a splash of broth.
- Take the lid off and cook for the last 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the broth has cooked down to almost nothing and the beans are glossy with butter.
- Taste one bean. It should be tender all the way through. Adjust the salt and pepper before the beans go into the serving bowl.
