These Braised Garlic Green Beans are awesome. Period. Seriously, if you want to get your kids to eat their green beans, make them this way! My kids go crazy for these, and every time I make them, I make more than we need for one meal, because they will snack on them! I first fell in love with these delectable green beans when my husband and I used to camp in Santa Barbara. We would drive up the coast, and when we got to Santa Barbara, we would stop at a health food store and get some deli items to eat while camping. Our favorites included BBQ’d tofu, and these green beans. When we bought them, they would sometimes have sesame seeds and red pepper flakes on them. Occasionally, I make them like that too, but to keep this recipe kid friendly, we’ll stick to basics and add the sesame and red pepper as options.
This recipe is really simple. You only need olive oil, garlic, tamari (or other gluten free soy sauce), water and some green beans. That’s it! I wash them and get the kids to help me prep them by snapping off the rough ends. I love that time with them, chatting and snapping beans. We leave them long, and I think they like that because they can pick them up and eat them with their hands when snacking. 
We are going to cook these until they are crisp-tender, so they still have a slight amount of snack in them, and they aren’t mushy. Cooking them for about 15-20 minutes will be enough time to have them soak up the flavor of the tamari and garlic, but not get over done. Toss them frequently with a pair of tongs to make sure that the whole batch gets flavored. You’ll definitely need a pan with a lid. I use my cast iron skillet with a glass lid. Also, using tongs that have a large, silicone or rubber tip on the end will make your job much easier. (Trust me – I’ve made these 1000 times!) I’m including links to the pan and tongs I use, in case you want to check them out. 😉
I serve these a lot with BBQ tofu, and yams or potatoes, on week nights. These are probably my kids’ favorite veggie, and a hit with the extended family too, so I always make them with holiday meals as well. They are pictured above with my Vegan ‘Turkey’ Roll, and The Best Vegan Gravy Ever. (You’re going to want to print or Pin those recipes for later!) So, that’s it! A super simple side dish, that is a real crowd pleaser! I hope you enjoy it, and if you want to receive more great vegan/gluten free recipes, delivered straight to your inbox, just pop your email address into the form below and you’ll never miss a post! Have a great week, Angel
- 2 lbs. organic green beans
- 1 C Tamari
- ¾ C water
- 2-3 tsp. chopped fresh garlic (depending on your tastes)
- 1 Tbs. Olive Oil
- optional: sesame seeds, red pepper flakes
- Prep Green Beans by washing and snapping off the tough ends.
- Add olive oil and garlic to a large skillet with lid. heat over a medium heat until garlic gets fragrant, but not brown. Add Water, Tamari, and Green Beans. Put lid on and allow to simmer in tamari mixture. Using tongs, move the green beans around so that all of them get a chance to simmer in the garlic and tamari, replace lid after each turn. Simmer until crisp tender, about 15 minutes.
- Serve warm. Garnish with sesame seeds and/or red pepper flakes as desired.
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Angel McNall is the author and photographer of High Vibe Lifestyle. For over 20 years, Angel has been teaching people how to live more vibrantly by eating a plant based diet, and using plant based medicine. 
