Sous Vide Green Beans

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Sous Vide Green Beans are an easy and flavorful side dish that require just a few ingredients and minimal prep time. Enjoy perfectly tender green beans every time when you prepare them in your sous vide cooker!

While we still enjoy our green beans prepared in more traditional ways like these spicy braised green beans or these sautéed green beans, I love that I never have to worry about overcooking my green beans when I cook them sous vide style. They turn out bright and vibrant with a tender texture and plenty of flavor!

Seriously, you guys, the flavor of these green beans is amazing! They’re cooked with minced garlic and anchovies and then topped with chopped walnuts and parmesan cheese before serving.

It’s a combination of flavor and texture that really takes your side dish game up a notch.

And you thought sous vide was only for meat....we make this sous vide broccoli, sous vide sweet potatoes and these sous vide carrots too that are just AMAZING!

Why this recipe works

1. These green beans are so easy to prepare. The hardest part will be taking the time to trim the ends. Once that’s done, just season them, seal the bag and let your sous vide cooker do the rest!
2. It’s a simple side dish that works for a weeknight meal or a fancy date night dinner. The green beans can also be made in advance so they're perfect for meal prep.
3. You’ll never get mushy green beans again since the water bath controls the temperature and cooks the green beans to your preferred texture.

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator. This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use binder clips) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container for water bath
• Vacuum sealer
• 16 ounce canning jars

If you don't have a lot of experience cooking sous vide yet, you may want to pop over and read what sous vide cooking is and some tips.

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use binder clips) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container for water bath
• Vacuum sealer
• 4 ounce canning jars

If you don't have a lot of experience cooking sous vide yet, you may want to pop over and read what sous vide cooking is and some tips.

Other sous vide recipes

• Sous Vide Crème Brulee
• Sous Vide Veal Chops
• Sous Vide Scallops
• Sous Vide Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

You’ll need one pound of fresh green beans. To ensure the best results, make sure your green beans are the freshest possible.

They should be smooth and a vibrant green color with a firm texture. You’ll want them to snap when you bend them.

The green beans are cooked with olive oil, garlic and anchovies. For the best flavor, make sure you’re using a good quality olive oil. 

Anchovies are salty cured little fish fillets that add a umami flavor to these green beans. You’ll just need 4 anchovies as they pack a lot of flavor. And make sure they’re minced so you get maximum coverage around the green beans.

Step by step instructions

Trim the green beans and rinse them in a colander.

Combine the green beans, olive oil, garlic and anchovies in a vacuum sealable bag and organize in a single layer (as much as possible). A ziplock bag can also be used if using the water displacement method (see above).

Heat a sous vide water bath to 186F degrees.

Place the sealed bag of green beans in the bath and cook for 60-90 minutes (90 minutes will result in softer green beans, which is how I prefer them).

Remove the bag from the water and empty the beans into a serving bowl. Toss them with salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and chopped walnuts and serve hot.

Experts tips

1. To make it easier to coat the beans with the oil, garlic and anchovies, you can mix them all together in a bowl before adding them to the vacuum sealable bag. 
2. If you prefer smaller cut green beans, feel free to cut them in half before adding them to the sealable bag.
3. I usually trim the ends off of the green beans as they tend to be tough. You can trim the tips too, if you prefer.
4. If the bag floats, you may need to remove the air half way through and reseal the bag again. You can also weight it down with a wet towel, a heavy bowl (I use my mortar) or put a heavy spoon in the bag with the green beans before sealing.

Common questions

Make ahead and freezing instructions

You can meal prep or make these green beans in advance and store them in the fridge or freezer.

To do this, follow the recipe instructions up until the green beans are removed from the water bath. Instead of opening the bag and serving them, place the bag in an ice bath for 10 minutes. Once cooled, transfer the bag to the fridge or freezer until ready to use.

To reheat, place the bag of green beans in a 185F degree water bath until the green beans are warmed.

Open the bag and empty the green beans into a serving bowl and top with walnuts, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Make it a meal

These sous vide greens beans go with so many dishes. Here are a few of our favorites to pair them with:

• Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
• Sous Vide Filet Mignon
• Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs
• Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!