So often people tell me that they are hesitant to eat/cook vegetable because they “just don’t taste good” or they don’t know how to make them. Usually, my first instinct is to ask if they know how to roast vegetables and then go into a verbal tutorial from there. Of course, while roasting is a classic way to prepare and enhance the flavor of vegetables (and certainly one of my favorite cooking methods), I also love to toss simply steamed vegetables in browned butter.

Sure, butter has some calories and fat but I’m not losing sleep over it if it means that I’ll eat a serving or two of vegetables. And best of all, a little bit of browned butter goes a long way to contribute a rich, nutty, and oh-so-good flavor.
So…this is why I decide to make Browned Butter Green Beans Amandine the next recipe in my “Recipes You Know By Heart” series because it is super simple to memorize the technique and you can apply it to any vegetable.

By committing these very simple steps to memory, you’ll be ready to whip up a veggie with browned butter whenever yore in need of a tasty side. And of course, like with my last Recipes You Know By Heart recipe, Hearty Vegetable Soup, if you want a full recipe, you can find it at the end of this post.
To make this “recipe,” remember that you’ll need a vegetable (easily steamed in the microwave), butter, nuts (if desired), and a pinch of salt (or other spices/herbs). You don’t have to memorize the exact measurements—just use what you have on hand. And remember, a little goes a long way and you can always add more.
Next, cook the vegetable. You can steam, roast, sauté, etc.—whichever method you feel the most comfortable with and is the fastest and easiest.

While your vegetable cooks, brown the butter over medium to medium-high heat. I add a pat or two of butter and then swirl it in the hot pan until it melts and begins to brown. You’ll want to make sure to either whisk or swirl every few seconds so the butter doesn’t burn.

Once the butter is brown, add nuts, seeds, spices, just whatever will taste good and toast for a minute or two to release the flavors. Finally, add your cooked vegetable, toss until coated with the butter and heated through, and finish with a little salt and pepper.

Here are some other flavor combos that work well with browned butter:

• broccoli + pecan + browned butter
• asparagus + sliced almonds + browned butter (+squeeze of lemon)
• potatoes + fresh rosemary + browned butter
• carrots + marcona almonds + browned butter
• summer vegetables (zucchini, squash, tomatoes, onions) + browned butter

See…EASY! And you don’t even need exact measurements. If you aren’t feeling completely confident yet, follow the recipe below until you commit it to memory. Once you have the technique down, your options are endless!

Do you have a favorite recipe that you know by heart? Share it in the comments below for the chance to have it featured as a guest blog on Holley Grainger Nutrition. Make sure to let me know if you try this recipe or if you have other favorite flavor combinations! Enjoy!

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Browned Butter Green Beans Amandine

• Author: Holley Grainger
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Learn how to make a simple browned butter so that you can easily amp up the flavor of any vegetable.

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Ingredients

• 1 package ready-to-steam French green beans (8-oz)
• 1½ Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp slivered almonds
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

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Instructions

1. Cook green beans according to package directions.
2. While green beans cook, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook butter, stirring constantly (about 3-5 minutes) or until butter turns light brown.
3. Add almonds and toast 2-3 minutes or until almonds and butter are golden brown. Add green beans to pan and toss to coat. Remove from heat and sprinkle with kosher salt.