Here’s an easy recipe using wax beans or yellow-green beans. Liven up the waxy beans with fresh, mint-infused olive oil. It’s a delicious combo for summer!
If we’re lucky, there’s a good supply of wax beans at the farmers’ market every weekend during the summer.
Harvested young, these golden yellow (and sometimes purple) versions of green beans are sweet and tender.
What are Yellow Wax Beans?
Also known as yellow wax beans, wax beans are very similar to green beans except wax beans do not contain chlorophyll and are not as green as green beans. Wax beans can also have a purplish hue known as purple beans. Because wax beans, green beans, and purple beans all taste the same, you can use them pretty much interchangeably in dishes.
How to store and prepare wax beans
Store waxy beans unwashed in the crisper of your refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. When ready to use the beans, rinse them under cold running water and trim off the stalks.
Try these green bean recipes!
- Green beans with bacon
- Green beans with almonds and thyme
- Sriracha Orange Glazed Green Beans
- Green beans with balsamic vinegar, basil and parmesan
- French green beans with butter and herbs
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Wax beans with mint
ingredients
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8th ounces wax beans
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Several mint leaves
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2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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Kosher salt
method
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Pour the mint over the olive oil:
A little beforehand, crush a few mint leaves (reserve some for garnish) with a mortar and pestle. Place the shredded mint leaves in a small jar and add a few tablespoons of good quality olive oil to cover.
If possible, let it rest for at least an hour. The longer the mint is in the olive oil, the better the infusion.
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Preparation of the wax beans:
Prepare the beans by trimming and discarding the tips and ends. If necessary, break the beans in half to obtain pieces about 2 inches long.
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Steam beans:
Bring an inch of water to a boil in a saucepan. Place the beans in a steamer basket in the pot. Cover and cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. After about 8 minutes, check if the dough is ready. If a fork easily goes through them, they’re done.
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Drizzle with the enriched oil:
Remove beans from pan and place in a serving bowl. Use a strainer to drizzle the mint-infused olive oil over the beans.
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Sprinkle with salt:
Sprinkle salt over the beans to taste. (Fleur de sel would go really well with this dish.)
Chop a few more mint leaves to garnish.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 80 | calories |
| 7g | Fat |
| 4g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
