Marinated Green Beans
Updated June 11, 2025
- Total Time
- 2½ hours
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes, plus at least 2 hours’ marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 12ounces green beans, ends trimmed
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2garlic cloves, grated
- ¼cup torn fresh basil leaves
- ¼cup torn fresh mint leaves
- Crushed red pepper (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
123 calories; 10 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 260 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large pot, combine 2 quarts water and ½ tablespoon salt and bring to a boil. Add the green beans to the pot and cook for 2 minutes, until they are a vibrant green color. Strain the green beans and lay them on a kitchen towel or paper towel and blot them to dry. Set aside.
- Step 2
Make the marinade: In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, grated garlic, half of the basil and mint, 1 teaspoon salt and and pinch each of black pepper and crushed red pepper, if using.
- Step 3
Add the dried, still-warm green beans and the marinade to a shallow dish or a zip-top bag and toss to coat. Let sit for 15 minutes, then cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, tossing occasionally. The beans will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so feel free to make ahead or enjoy leftovers.
- Step 4
Serve cold or at room temperature, garnished with the remaining basil and mint.
Private Notes
Comments
Bob, you're correct, the type of salt does make a difference! In general, if we don't specify a specific type of salt, you can use whatever you have. In this case, Dan used Diamond Crystal kosher salt; I've updated the recipe to reflect that detail. If you prefer to use fine salt or Morton coarse kosher salt, which are denser than Diamond Crystal, I would start with 3/4 teaspoon in the marinade, and adjust the salt to taste at the end. Whatever salt you use, I hope you make the recipe!
@Bob in Charleston SC I read that salt always refers to Kosher salt in the recipes unless stated. And, they say to use Diamond Crystal as their guide because kosher salt can vary (although I use David’s and haven’t had a problem). Whatever you use, start small and taste!
In my experience, cooking beans for 2 minutes until they're "crisp-tender" means they're crisp alright, but not tender. Basically the texture of raw beans. I cooked these for about four minutes and they were perfect
Whenever preparing green beans try to add a pinch of ‘winter savory’ (Bohnenkraut in German) : your beans will actually taste like ‘beans’
I use this as an addition to lettuce salads (the vinaigrette doubling as salad dressing). As a person with a small container garden, I didn’t have enough beans, but did have lemon cucumbers, so I did a mix of the two. I also come from a family of lemon-lovers and have a Meyer lemon tree, so added some Meyer lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon.
A few points: 1. Steaming is better than boiling, even in salted water. A timer is essential. Try 6 minutes precisely. (6-7 minutes is also right for asparagus.) 2. If you must boil (please don’t) some parsley stalks in the water - it helps keep green vegetables green. 3. Not just green beans, but all green vegetables benefit from being trimmed and then left to soak in cold fresh water for ½ hour to 2 hours. The trimming opens the cellular The result is crisper, tastier vegetables.