The Best Way To Cook Green Beans For Maximum Nutritional Value

"Eat your green beans" is something your parents probably told you a dozen times when you were a kid. But does it really matter how you prepare them?  You might assume that canned, boiled, blanched, or roasted green beans are all pretty much the same, as long as you're eating your vegetables. Not quite.  We previously covered the nutritional differences between canned green beans and fresh, but the way you cook them is also important. Green beans are a nutritional powerhouse, rich in fiber, vitamin C, folate, and vitamin K, along with antioxidants such as lutein. Fresh green beans can alter their nutritional profile during the cooking process, and they can lose much of their health benefits. That's why it's important to know what not to do, as we explain in detail in our guide to simple mistakes too many people make when cooking green beans.

Boiling green beans in a pot can cause some of their nutrients to leach into the cooking liquid. According to a 2012 study published in LWT – Food Science and Technology, different cooking methods affect the levels of vitamin C, folate, and lutein in green beans and spinach. The researchers found that boiling reduced the concentration of vitamin C and folate in the vegetables. Steaming, on the other hand, helped preserve folate and lutein, although vitamin C was still affected by heat.

But simply steaming them plain might not make them particularly appealing either, so a middle ground would be to steam-sauté them. Steam-sautéing may help preserve green beans' vitamin C and folate by limiting their exposure to water and reducing nutrient loss through leaching.

Steam-sautéing, as the name gives away, combines the two cooking techniques of steaming and sautéing. "Sauté" comes from the French word "sauter," meaning "to jump," and describes cooking food quickly in a little fat over heat, while steaming uses hot water vapor to cook ingredients. 

To do this cooking method for your green beans, start by placing them in a pan with water – about ⅓ cup per pound of beans – along with some olive oil and salt. The water should only cover the bottom of the pan, rather than submerge the beans. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5–10 minutes, adjusting the time according to the size of the beans (whole beans generally take longer than cut beans). 

Once the beans are tender and the water has evaporated, the process moves to sautéing. Toss the beans in the remaining olive oil and cook for another minute or two. Garlic can be added for extra flavor, along with other seasonings of your choice. The relatively short cooking time of this method helps prevent overcooking and keeps the beans vibrant green and slightly crunchy. For more ways to prepare this versatile vegetable, check out our guide to 17 Cooking Tips You Should Know for Green Beans.