This Sautéed Green Beans Recipe with Apple Cider is a delicious Thanksgiving side dish! Made with only 5 ingredients, they’re a healthy and easy holiday favorite that everyone will love! Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, paleo-friendly!

It’s time for Homemade Holidays here at JoyFoodSunshine!

I can’t believe this week will usher in the beginning of November, which means holiday season is upon us! If you’re anything like me, you start testing and bookmarking recipes as soon as the weather starts changing! So I thought I’d start sharing some {more} of our family’s favorite holiday dishes with all of you, starting with this Sautéed Green Beans Recipe with Apple Cider! That’s right! Every recipe from now until Christmas will be made for the magical last two months of the year!

I don’t know why, but green beans have become a holiday staple in just about every home in America! Maybe because we all need a touch of green, even on indulgent holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas!

This Sautéed Green Beans Recipe with Apple Cider are the perfect addition to any holiday table! They’re made with only 5 ingredients and are super healthy! Plus, everyone in your family will be able to enjoy this gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan side dish!

I have to confess that I always take a hard pass on the most well-known way to enjoy green beans on Turkey Day. Yep, those creamy casseroles loaded with french fried onions are not my cup of tea, and were never part of our family’s celebrations. However, my dad makes the most amazing Thanksgiving dinners, and they always included sautéed green beans in some form or another.

My favorite was always when he added a touch of apple cider. However the man never uses recipes. For real, when I wanted to learn how to cook he said, “just start following recipes and you will get the hang of it.” When I asked for some of his recipes he had none. “They’re all up here” he’d say as he gently tapped his temple. Well, I took his advice and here I am. One of the main reasons I started this blog was so that my kids could have a record of all the meals we enjoy together! So, I’ve created a recipe for Sautéed Green Beans Recipe with Apple Cider for YOU so that you can enjoy them this holiday season too!

The sweet and spicy apple cider reduction compliments the salty garlicy green beans so well it’ll make you swoon! Plus this Sautéed Green Beans Recipe with Apple Cider is worlds healthier than their creamy casserole counterparts.

Because vegetables {in my opinion} aren’t supposed to be heavy. They’re supposed to be light and fresh and cooked in a way that brings out their natural goodness!

How to make Sautéed Green Beans Recipe

This recipe has a handful of steps, but they’re all straightforward so do not let it scare you!

What is the best way to cook fresh green beans? 

Blanch the green beans. 

When working with fresh green beans I always blanch them first. Simply cook the beans in boiling water for 2-4 minutes until they are soft (cook time varies with the size of the beans). Then rinse them in cold water and plunge them into an ice-water bath to stop the cooking process. This makes the final step of sautéing incredibly easy because the beans are already tender! Blanching can be done the day before, to help you streamline your day-of holiday cooking!

How to make Sautéed Green Beans with Apple Cider

Reduce the cider. 

The cider takes about 20 minutes to thicken and reduce by half. Save time and start the process when you begin boiling the water. It’s pretty hands off just be careful when you do stir it because stirring causes the liquid to boil vigorously for a few seconds.  If your’e not careful you run the risk of it bubbling out of your pot! Watch the cider carefully towards the end of the reducing process, it goes from perfect to a burnt, unusable mess very quickly {speaking from experience here}.

Putting it together. 

Once the beans are blanched and the cider is reduced sautéing is really just to warm the beans and cause the glaze to stick to them!

Sautéed Green Beans Recipe: Substitutions 

There are only 5 ingredients in this recipe, and as always, I recommend making them exactly as written for the best results. However here are a few possible substitutions:

• Olive oil. Any neutral oil will work well in this recipe. I recommend avocado oil or canola oil if you do not have olive oil. Melted butter is also an amazing substitution for the olive oil. Your beans will not be dairy-free but they will be delicious!
• Garlic salt. If you do not keep garlic salt on hand. Simply substitute 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp garlic powder for the garlic salt. Then adjust seasonings to taste if necessary!

IF YOU MAKE SOMETHING FROM JOYFOODSUNSHINE I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS! DON’T FORGET TO RATE THIS RECIPE AND LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW! ALSO, FOLLOW ALONG WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, FACEBOOK AND TWITTER FOR MORE RECIPE INSPIRATION AND A GLIMPSE INTO OUR EVERYDAY LIFE!

5 from 2 votes

Print

Sautéed Green Beans Recipe with Apple Cider

This Sautéed Green Beans Recipe with Apple Cider is a delicious Thanksgiving side dish! Made with only 5 ingredients, they're a healthy and easy holiday favorite that everyone will love! Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, paleo-friendly! 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword healthy green bean recipes, Sautéed Green Beans, Sautéed Green Beans Recipe, thanksgiving side dish

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6 Cups of Beans (Serves 12 people)

Calories 57.7 kcal

Author Laura

Ingredients

• 2 lbs 8 cups fresh green beans
• 1 ½ cups real apple cider
• 2 TBS olive oil
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Trim the ends of 2 lbs (8 cups) of fresh green beans and place them in a colander and rinse.

Blanch the beans:

1. Fill a large, 6-quart stock pot ¾ full with water and bring to a boil.
2. While water is coming up to a boil, fill a large bowl ½ full of water and ice. If the ice melts add more! Set aside.
3. Pour trimmed & rinsed beans into boiling water cook for 3-4 minutes or until beans are slightly soft to the touch.
4. Pour boiling water/beans into a colander and rinse with cold water.
5. Put the beans into the bowl of ice cold water to stop them from cooking!
6. Once beans are completely cool (or cold) drain and rinse again.

Apple cider reduction:

1. While the water is boiling, place 1 ½ cups of apple cider into a small sauce pot (2-3 quart saucepan).
2. Bring liquid to a boil then reduce to a vigorous simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally. Be aware, stirring can cause the liquid to bubble more vigorously for a moment so be careful!
3. Cook until the cider is reduced to ½ of its original volume and begins to stick to the spatula when you stir it. (about 20 minutes).
4. Watch the apple cider reduction carefully because it can go from perfect to burnt very quickly!
5. Remove from heat and set aside.

Putting it together:

1. Put the beans in a large sauté pan and toss with 2 TBS olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the beans become warm.
3. Add the apple cider reduction and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid coats the beans.
4. Serve immediately!

Nutrition Facts

Sautéed Green Beans Recipe with Apple Cider

Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)

Calories 57.7 Calories from Fat 21

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2.3g 4%

Saturated Fat 0.3g 2%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.7g

Sodium 52mg 2%

Potassium 17mg 0%

Total Carbohydrates 9g 3%

Dietary Fiber 2.7g 11%

Sugars 5.1g

Protein 1.3g 3%

Vitamin A 10%

Vitamin C 21%

Calcium 2.7%

Iron 4.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This Sautéed Green Beans Recipe with Apple Cider are a must-haven on our Thanksgiving table! I hope they become a beloved favorite of yours too!

Question: Do green beans make an appearance on your holiday table? 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine!