These green beans are flavorful instead of bland. Even people who don’t like green beans love this recipe. Doc says they taste Zippy!

French Green Beans with Garlic Butter and Grape Tomatoes

1 ½ pounds French green beans; washed, drained and trimmed
¼ cup unsalted butter
¾ teaspoon iodized salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish

Pour 1 cup water in a stockpot. Place green beans in a steamer basket and set in stockpot. Cover pot with lid and steam beans for 10-12 minutes or until crisp tender. (The green beans will cook later with butter and tomatoes so you don’t want to overcook them at this point.) Remove steamer basket with beans and set aside. Drain pot.

Melt butter in same pot over medium high heat. Add salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook 3 minutes or until they just start to soften. Gently stir in green beans. Coat beans with garlic butter mixture while trying not to break up tomatoes.  Garnish with basil. Enjoy!

Published in The News and Neighbor on June 19, 2019