Green Beans with Lemon and Feta | with video!
Posted: 03/25/2015
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These green beans with lemon and feta are a refreshing, flavorful side dish but also make a great lunch on their own!
One of the things I look forward to most during the spring and summer months is heading to the farmers market or to local farms to pick up great fresh produce. In Grand Rapids, Michigan where I grew up, there are two amazing (huge!) farmers markets with endless amounts of whatever kinds of fruits and vegetables you could ever want. Breads, cheeses, and local honey also populate the farmers market in Grand Rapids. Where I live now on the other side of the state, I don’t have anything like that nearby. There’s Eastern Market in Detroit, but that’s a hike from where I live. There’s a smaller farmers market in my city but it has very limited hours and very few vendors. Thankfully, there are a few great farms nearby who sell freshly picked produce. One of which we can even walk to from our house!
One of my favorite things to buy from a farmers market is green beans. They just taste better when you buy them fresh from the market (I suppose most things do!). I don’t know what it is about green beans but when you buy them from a farmers market they always have a faint taste of dill. I just love that.
Lightly steamed, roasted or boiled, I don’t really care. The key is just barely cooking them so they’re nice and crisp still. The last thing you want is soggy green beans, especially when they are farm fresh.
These green beans with lemon and feta are honestly an amazing lunch, but they’re a great side dish too. They taste great hot, warm or cold, and are unbelievably easy to prepare.
Green bean fan? Make sure to check out my popular roasted green beans with Parmesan and basil or my green bean casserole!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
as a side dish
These green beans with lemon and feta are a refreshing, flavorful side dish but also make a great lunch on their own!
Ingredients
- 3/4 to 1 pound of fresh green beans (stem end snipped off), washed
- 4 heaping tablespoons feta cheese
- juice of 1/2 of a lemon
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add about 1/2 inch of water to a medium-sized sauté pan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Add beans, cover and continue to cook on medium-high for 4-5 minutes or until fork tender but still crispy.
- Drain and return to pan. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and toss to coat. Place green beans on a plate and sprinkle with feta, then lemon juice, then pepper (and salt if desired).
- Serve immediately. (But they are also pretty great cold!)
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1/4 of recipe, Calories: 69kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 3mg, Sodium: 109mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Husband’s take: Ben loves these green beans with lemon and feta, and my parents have had the chance to try them as well. Everyone approves.
Changes I would make: None are necessary, but if you have some fresh herbs lying around, I’d highly recommend sprinkling some of those on as well. Try dill or parsley.
Difficulty: So easy!
Looking for more vegetable recipes? Try: Marsala Roasted Mushrooms, Pesto and Cheese Stuffed Zucchini, Roasted Radishes with Lemon and Honey, Roasted Carrots with Thyme and Nutmeg, Sriracha Orange Glazed Green Beans from Simply Recipes, or Garlic Roasted Kale from Jeanette’s Healthy Living.
Lily Lau says
This seems so healthy! Thank you very much for sharing it with us :)
kelley @ mountain mama cooks says
I love these flavors- pretty much anything with lemon and feta I’m all over. So bright and perfect for spring. Gorgeous photos!
fabiola@notjustbaked says
The perfect simple vegetable side dish. The flavor combination, I can eat them all! I love green beans :).
Katie @ Mom to Mom Nutrition says
Green beans + feta are my jam! Such a spring-tastic side dish. Can’t wait to make this for Easter!
Rachel says
Oh I will be trying these this summer. Thank you for the recipe.
Crystal Wachoski says
I’ve never been to Eastern Market! I really should do that soon. I love feta!
denise says
tasty
Nutmeg Nanny says
These green beans looks so fresh and totally perfect for spring and summer. I think that feta cheese on top is what totally sold me…love!
kristy @ the wicked noodle says
I love easy vegetable recipes like this that use just a few other flavorful ingredients to make it a really tasty dish without much effort. So gorgeous, too!
Sues says
Simple and beautiful! What could be better??
Martha @ A Family Feast says
We just made a similar recipe with asparagus! Love the feta and lemon flavor combination – so perfect with springtime veggies!
Lisa @ Low Carb Yum says
There’s a very popular Farmers Market about ten minutes from my house, but I’ve never stopped in because it is so packed with people. I’m thinking I need to check it out! This green bean dish looks fantastic!
A GEEK DADDY says
Nice recipe! I’m going to use it – the feta and green beans seem like such a great mix surprised I hadn’t though of it before.
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
So simple, but yet perfect! I love feta and lemon with my veggies!
Nibbles By Nic says
So simple and delicious. There really is nothing like a Farmers Market and I love the idea of sprinkling Feta! Just perfection!!