An easy green beans side dish with garlic and tomatoes – healthy, low carb, paleo and seriously delicious. The secret? Garlic ghee!
Green Beans – my favorite healthy side dish!
Growing up, my grandmother always made this simple delicious green beans side dish. Granted, they were from a can, but they were SO good. She added butter and sautéed onions and they were a cheap, delicious side dish.
A common meal would have been ground beef and spices or roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and a side of green beans.
For not having any idea about health or nutrition, this was a pretty healthy meal. We’ve complicated healthy eating so much over the years. Vegan, paleo, low-carb, vegetarian, pescetarian, etc.
But our grandmothers knew something we didn’t: real, whole food is best.
They didn’t worry about labeling the way they ate. They just ate. My grandmother grew up with a garden in her urban backyard Pennsylvania rowhouse.
Her parents went to the local farmer for their meat. They ate what they grew and bought locally (and organically – before it was a thing) what they couldn’t.
Somewhere along the line, things changed. When fat was vilified. People switched to Crisco. They switched to margarine. They switched to packaged and processed food.
But I love going back to my roots and eating the wholesome healthy way my grandmother used to cook.
Why this is the best green beans side dish recipe:
When it comes to sticking to healthy habits, let me tell you one thing that I wish someone had told me years ago: simplicity will save you. The simpler the recipe, the more likely you are to cook it all the time.
This green beans side dish with garlic and tomatoes is a one of those simple healthy side dish that’s seriously delicious.
The three flavors just pair so perfectly together and cooking them in garlic ghee makes them even better. Yes, GARLIC GHEE. It’s so insanely good.
These easy sauteed green beans keep well, too, making them perfect for meal prep or a lunch of leftovers.
What is ghee?
Ghee is basically butter with the lactose removed, so it’s safe for most people, even the lactose intolerant. It still has that super buttery flavor, but it can be easier on digestion making it great for healthy paleo cooking.
You can store ghee at room temperature and infuse it with ingredients like garlic, onion or any fresh or dried herbs. I am a busy working mom so I tend to by my garlic ghee here.
Are green beans paleo?
Green beans are a legume and, yes, I know – legumes are not “Paleo.” That being said, green beans fall into a gray area of the Paleo diet and if you ask me, there is NOTHING wrong with green beans.
The reason why legumes are eliminated from a Paleo diet is because of negative components of the plant such as phytates that bind to other nutrients and make them less available for your body to use.
However, green beans along with fresh peas and sugar snap peas contain very minimal amounts of the negative constituents found in most other legumes.
Green beans are nutrient-dense, a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese – a key player in bone health. As an added bonus green beans are rich in chlorophyll – a powerful blocker of carcinogens.
How to make this easy healthy green beans side dish:
The paleo green beans recipe could not be any more simple. Heat some garlic ghee in a pan and fry the green beans for about 10 minutes. You will note that they are starting to soften after about 7 minutes.
Now, add in the tomatoes and keep on cooking the beans for another 3 minutes before adding the garlic.
Cook for another minute and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tips for making garlic green beans with tomatoes:
- Snap off the very end of the stem of each bean or line them up on your cutting board and slice off all the stems at once.
- Don’t overcook your beans. You want them to be tender but they should still have a bite.
- Cooking sauteed green beans for about 10 minutes in garlic ghee over medium-high heat is perfect. Then add tomatoes and garlic and serve them!
- Nope, I don’t blanch these before sauteing, and I don’t think it makes a big difference.
What to serve with green beans:
Really any protein goes with this easy green beans side-dish, which is why it’s such a staple in my home. Serve this low carb side with my Slow Cooker Lamb Shank , healthy salmon cakes or with roasted chicken.
More delicious green beans recipes:
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Healthy Side Dish: Green Beans with Garlic and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 bag organic green beans prep them - see tips/notes
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 2 tbsp garlic ghee see notes
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
Instructions
- Heat the garlic ghee over medium heat.
- Add the green beans and cook until they start to soften, about ten minutes.
- Then add the chopped tomatoes.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until they start to break down.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Salt and pepper to taste!
Notes
- Ghee is basically butter with the lactose removed, so it’s safe for most people, even the lactose intolerant. It still has that super buttery flavor, but it can be easier on digestion.
- Snap off the very end of the stem of each bean or line them up on your cutting board and slice off all the stems at once.
- Don't overcook your beans. You want them to be tender but they should still have a bite.
- Cooking sauteed green beans for about 10 minutes in garlic ghee over medium-high heat is perfect. Then add tomatoes and garlic and serve them!
- Nope, I don’t blanch these before sauteing, and I don’t think it makes a big difference.
