Southern-style green beans are one of my favorite side dishes. Sweet green beans are slowly simmered with bacon or ham so they pick up the great flavor of the smoky meat. When I was in college in Tennessee, we used to use canned green beans to speed up the process, but now I pick my beans out of the garden and simmer the fresh beans for an hour or two.
This sweet and smoky vegetable makes a great side to a Southern-style picnic with cornbread. Cooking the beans with bacon really makes a difference in the finished flavor, but if you want to make this dish vegetarian you can substitute 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika for the bacon and vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Southern-style green beansIngredients
2 lbs fresh green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch lardons
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions 1. Prepare the beans by trimming the ends and cutting them in half. Wash them in cold running water and pat dry with a towel.
2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until the pieces are very crispy.
3. Add the green beans and toss to coat. Continue to cook until the beans become bright green, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the chicken broth, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and bring to a simmer.
5. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid, slightly offset to allow the steam to escape.
6. Simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour.
