Let’s face it, a majority of people – and especially kids, simply do not like green beans. I guess the main reason is their bland sort of humble taste. So, even when various nutritional studies proved that these small green pods with their tender seeds are very healthy, mainly because of its fiber and high dosage of vitamin K, A and C (and so many more good nutrients), people simply do not use them on regular basis in their diet.
Well, this wasn’t the case with me. Simply because of one reason – our neighbors (an older couple Jan and Katja) had a garden, and in that garden somehow their tiny green bushes of beans, stuck one after another like little soldiers, always gave a rich crop. And when they picked them up one day, on another, they would sit on our dining table, not as a main – superstar dish, but rather as a good and reliable accompany of the real star dishes, in most various forms.
One of those meals is this green bean dill side dish (a little bit altered and simplified), which we all in family enjoyed munching, and if you have children that make the weirdest face expressions each time they see a bean on their plate, this is the dish that they wouldn’t say no to (well, I am almost certain).
Unlike many other green bean dishes, where the beans are usually cooked just a couple of minutes so they would stay crunchy and firm, these green beans need to be cooked for a longer time, in order to become soft and tender. This is the case, just when using a fresh green beans, but the frozen beans fit perfectly in this dish as well, and since they are usually blanched before frozen, they are cooked in a matter of minutes. Also, this way the green bean dill recipe can be made throughout the whole year.
Green Bean Dill Side Dish Recipe:
If you are using fresh beans, the most important thing which you need to do, is to purchase good, fresh beans. The fresh vegetable should have bright green color and when you bend the pot, it should always crunch and then snap. Since they loose they freshness pretty quickly, if you have doubt that they are not fresh, do not buy them. For the same reason, it is important to keep them in a refrigerator until you decide to use them.
When you decide to cook this green bean dill side dish, you have to wash the beans first under cold running water, then cut off the stems of each bean, but leave the tails. Then cut them up to a bite size pieces and set aside.
- 400 grams / 14 ounces green beans
- 1 large onion
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 grams / 1 ounce fresh dill
- 1½ tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- pinch of black pepper
- 5 tablespoons sour cream
- lemon juice to taste
- knife
- cutting board
- larger bowl
- small mixing bowl
- thick-bottomed skillet
- wooden spoon
- Heat the skillet, add oil and finely chopped onions. Fry the onions on a low temperature until soft and golden for approximately 15 minutes, adding few times about tablespoon of water in onion in during the second part of frying.
- Increase the temperature to medium, add green beans and just enough water to cover the beans and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the beans become tender. During this time, you will need to check beans texture from time to time, since the older beans needs to be cooked even longer to become soft, while younger or baby beans will definitely become soft quite quickly.
- Somewhere before end of cooking, stir in finely chopped dill, cover with the lid and let it simmer.
- Now, take mixing bowl, put flour, salt, sugar, pinch of black pepper and sour cream, add just a few tablespoons of water, mix well and add to the skillet. Stir it with the beans, cover with a lid and cook additional 3 – 4 minutes.
- Mix the lemon juice in right before serving, or leave it aside for everyone to add lemon juice to taste.
This green beans dish is best when made just before serving, but it is quite delicious even at a room temperature, so it is also OK to make it ahead and serve with some hot baked potatoes, or other piping hot goodies.
This is a very interesting recipe!
I’ve never seen green beans cooked this way!
Have a nice evening Jasmin!
Thank you, Evi.
This recipe is actually a moderated classic Austrian green bean recipe.
I ate this kind of dishes quite a lot when I was child…
Wish you pleasant evening as well…
This would be such a fun recipe for a Thanksgiving side dish and I love how unique it is!!
Good idea, Chelsea…
I think it would be nice addition to traditional Thanksgiving table.
My grandmother used to make filled green beans.
I loved them but the rest of my family not so much!
I am sooo excited to find this recipe- looks close enough to what she made- the family was from Austria!
That’s so nice to hear, dear Lynn.
This recipe has its roots in the German (and Austrian) cuisine as well, so I’m sure you’ll going to enjoy it :)