Green Bean

A side dish so good you’ll make it again and again. When the main dish is creamy and rich, these beans provide lightness and balance.

Make a double batch because you’re sure to want leftovers—this makes a great lunch the next day.

This creamy, cold-weather casserole with a golden, crunchy topping can be assembled ahead and baked when you’re ready.

Coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots), one of our favorite simple suppers convenience foods, is available in the produce section of most supermarkets.

Let it not be said that we didn’t warn you: this is a five-napkin sandwich, tasty and light but also juicy and messy, making it great outdoor summer fare. When buying the ingredients, remember that fresh tuna should be deep red, so if it’s turning brown or gray don’t buy it. Playfully sweet and hot, peppadew peppers are perfect for the marinade; if you can’t find them, substitute pickled cherry peppers so that you retain sweetness in addition to bite. Placing it on the cutting board with the raw side up and cutting from the top down keeps the tuna from falling apart when you cut it . . . no promises from us that it will be as considerate when you bite into it a few minutes later!

In this recipe, I blanch the broccoli before sautéing it. I love vegetables sautéed in olive oil that’s fragrant with garlic, but too often, these sautés can turn fresh, crisp produce into something greasy and soggy. So for some thicker-cut vegetables like broccoli florets, the blanching step really helps: By boiling, you cook the veggies most of the way through, and then you finish with the sauté more for flavor and texture than to get the broccoli fully cooked. Less time in the oil, less chance of sogginess.

I always serve this dish at Thanksgiving, but it’s good any time during the colder months. The kale and green beans make it vibrant and bright tasting, which is welcome at a time when not many green vegetables are in season.

This is a hearty meal in a bowl—like an antipasto with the added substance of the earthy grain.

In Venice you’ll find this soup in nearly every restaurant, and every version is a little bit different. I use two kinds of beans because I like the different textures each contributes: the cannellini are creamy while the garbanzos (chickpeas) have a slightly firmer bite. The final herb sauce brightens and freshens the long-cooked flavors. You can substitute any mild white fish for the snapper, but try to keep the fillets whole as the soup cooks. I always feel if I’ve spent the money for a beautiful piece of fish, I want people to see it, not just find tiny flakes throughout the soup.

When you need a satisfying meal that uses ground beef, try this recipe. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. Just brown the beef, heat the sauce, and add the rice. Then ring the dinner bell!

This bubbling stew incorporates the basics of a traditional Italian dish called ribollita, but it takes much less time to prepare. A savory way to use leftover ham, the stew is just right for warming up before the Friday-night football game.

An almost-effortless dish, this stew requires no peeling and little or no cutting!

Here’s a warm version of the popular French salade niçoise. Très bien!

The dillweed provides a pleasant aroma, the red pepper flakes give a bit of a kick, and the feta cheese adds tanginess to this attractive green bean and tomato pairing.

For a taste of Italy in minutes, prepare this simple vegetarian soup. Serve with a hearty whole-grain bread.

Green beans are such a versatile vegetable. I love coming up with different flavor combinations for them. They steam quickly, so they are always a great throw-together side dish. I love jarred roasted red peppers for the same reason—they are a flavorful, convenient ingredient to have on hand. So it made sense to combine the two to create this simple and tasty side dish. Note that, as the recipe is written, these green beans are very crisp, which is how I like them. Feel free to cook them longer if you like softer beans.

This simple recipe actually makes quite an elegant side dish. Though the sauce contains only two ingredients, it has a complex flavor. Your guests will think you spent a ton of time, but you can have the dish ready in the few minutes it takes to steam the green beans.

Have you ever tried using fancy sea salts in your cooking? This recipe is a great place to try a special salt. Because the flavors are so simple, a nice salt really stands out and pairs perfectly with the beans and lime juice. If you happen to have little girls, it’s always fun to use pink sea salt that you shave yourself—they’re likely to think it looks like a jewel. That said, traditional sea salt tastes great, too. If you’re entertaining with this dish, be sure to toss the beans in the lime juice and salt just before serving your guests. The acid in the lime juice may cause the beans to eventually turn brown (though even if this happens, they’ll still taste great).