Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms is a delicious and healthy side dish. This easy vegan and gluten-free 20 minute recipe is perfect for both weeknights and holidays. If you're looking for an alternative to the traditional green bean casserole, this fresh string bean recipe is for you!
Green beans, also known as string beans or haricot vert, are a very versatile vegetable. While their peak season is May through September, it's easy to find them in supermarkets year round.
You can eat them cold in green bean salad or hot in vegan green bean curry. But one of my favorite ways to enjoy them is with mushrooms in this plant-based Mediterranean diet inspired dish.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It's simple yet flavorful and only requires 4 ingredients (plus salt and pepper).
- You can make it in 20 minutes.
- Even people who say they don't care for green beans enjoy them prepared this way.
Ingredients
- Fresh green beans: You can purchase them by the pound or pre-packaged.
- Olive oil: This is my go-to oil as part of a healthy Mediterranean diet.
- Fresh garlic: Freshly minced garlic gives green beans so much flavor.
- Mushrooms: Here I used cremini (baby portobella) mushrooms, but I also like white button.
- Salt and pepper: For seasoning according to your tastes.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
- Trim or snap off the tough stems of the beans.
- Steam or blanch the green beans in boiling water for about 2 minutes, until they are bright green.
- Immediately transfer the beans to a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking.
- Drain when cooled, then pat the green beans dry with a kitchen towel. Slice the green beans into bite size pieces.
- Saute the garlic and mushrooms. Tip: Dry and use the same skillet you used to blanch the beans.
- Add the sliced green beans to the pan and toss to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve.
Amy's tip
Prepare the bowl of cold water and ice cubes before you start blanching the vegetables. It only takes a a brief moment for the beans to become limp and lose their vibrant color. But if you shock them with the ice water, they won't continue to cook, and you'll have perfect beans every time.
Serving suggestions
This side dish pairs perfectly with everything from holiday favorites to simple vegan pastas. Check out some of these recipes for inspiration:
- Vegan Meatloaf Muffins
- Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
- Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo
- Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil
- Mediterranean Yellow Rice
Storing
This recipe makes 6 servings as a side dish. If you have leftovers, they will last covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Enjoy them reheated or at room temperature in a salad.
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe I recommend only using fresh beans.
I recommend blanching to preserve the texture and color of the beans. No one likes mushy gray veggies!
Yes, you can prep this recipe by trimming or snapping off the ends in advance, but be sure to cover and refrigerate them to avoid bacteria growth.
More vegan green bean recipes
And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★
📋 Recipe
Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare an ice bath by placing cold water and ice cubes in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, bring 1-2 inches of water to a boil. Add the whole trimmed green beans to the pot. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes until they are bright green. Do not overcook the beans. Immediately transfer the beans to the bowl of ice water, then drain when cool.
- Pat the green beans dry with a kitchen towel. Slice the green beans into bite size pieces.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. (You can dry and use the same skillet you used to cook cook the green beans.) Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Next add the mushrooms to the pan and saute until soft.
- Add the sliced green beans to the pan and toss to heat through.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Monica
Nice simple healthy recipe that quick to make
Julia
Really delicious recipe — my family and I all love it. Tonight I prepared it a second time, even though I had only 2 mushrooms (!). To compensate, I added a dash of low-sodium tamari for a bit of extra umami. The result was still delicious, so I recommend this to anyone who has insufficient mushrooms and needs to adjust for that.
Amy Katz
Thanks Julia! Love this suggestion.
Bill
Easy to make following Amy's directions. It came out delicious! Everyone loved it! Sauteed green beans and mushrooms will be on our regular veggie sides. It's a great recipe.
Amy Katz
I'm so glad to hear that everyone enjoyed it, Bill!
Jerry Schmidt
This was Great. Love Mushrooms and Paired with the Green Beans was Awesome. Served With Cast Iron Pan Fried Chicken and Mrs. Grass Egg Noodles. And of Course Some Wine.
Melanie Williams
Yes it does. Thank you so much!!
Melanie Williams
Can this be made the day ahead and reheated in a crock pot?
Amy Katz
I don't recommend it. If you need to reheat it, it would be better in the microwave.
Melanie Williams
Are there any steps besides snapping the beans that could be done the day ahead to avoid last minute prep on this dish?
Amy Katz
Yes, you can cook the green beans, put them in an ice bath to cool, slice them, and store them in the refrigerator. You can also slice the mushrooms a day in advance. I hope this helps!
Meghan Newland
Myself and my entire family really enjoyed this dish. Two small additions, 1. more garlic, or perhaps mine just wasn't quite fragrant enough and 2. a bit of salt enhances the flavor.
Amy Katz
I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it, Meghan! And more garlic is usually a great idea in my book.
Rod
Simply amazing!
Amy Katz
Thank you, Rod!
Mckala
Everyone loved this dish! My pickey nephew was so in love with it he never eats veggies, my one year old devoured them and my niece wouldn’t stop eating them. We paired them with rice and tilapia.
Amy Katz
That's amazing, Mckala! I'm so happy everyone enjoyed it!
Shelley
Loved the simplicity and the combination of the green beans and mushrooms. Thanks for sending it to me on Instagram!
Amy Katz
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Shelley!
MAL
Yum!!! Great & Easy recipe..... Thank you so much 🙂
MAL
Delicious, loved it!!!
Amy Katz
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Sayde
Do you have to slice the green beans or can you keep them whole?
Amy Katz
You can keep them whole if you like.
Cris lee
Love these! I’ve already made them a couple times. I’m not a mushroom lover but I can eat them in this dish. I cook for vegans, vegetarians, diabetic and carnivore family members and everyone lives this dish.
Amy Katz
Thank you so much, Cristal! I'm so happy everyone enjoys it!
Elizabeth Hernandez
Let me start with, "My husband doesn't eat green beans." Spoiler alert... My husband only eats these green beans.
Since he was a kid, my husband has sworn off green beans. Apparently there was some incident when he was a child... anyway, I married a man who doesn't eat green beans. Twenty-six years later, we have an emergency impromptu Thanksgiving dinner at my sister's house (long story, search "plant explosion in Port Neches, Texas"). So she doesn't have time to poll the crowd and just makes whatever she has on-hand. It was fabulous and later in the week my dear husband asks me to get the recipe for the green beans from my sister because they were his favorite part of the meal. I'm not sure I've recovered from the shock yet, but this is the recipe she texted me. So congratulations. My husband loves THESE green beans!
Amy Katz
Thank you, Elizabeth! This is the greatest compliment ever!
Racheal
Can you use frozen green beans? If so, do you need to blanch them?
Amy
Hi Racheal, no, this recipe requires fresh green beans.
Karly
Love this side. Its so simple and healthy but tastes great too!
Amy
Thank you, Karly!