An easy recipe for sautéed green beans and onions cooked in olive oil and lightly seasoned. A sprinkling of feta cheese adds a little salty tang to this flavorful side dish!
Sautéed Green Beans with Feta Cheese and Caramelized Onions
This is one of my favorite green bean dishes and has been a family favorite for 20 years. It’s so easy, that I don’t even need to look at the recipe anymore and it always turns out perfectly!
Sautéed green beans with caramelized onions and feta cheese is a magic combination of savory and just a little bit of sweetness.
Because we cook them slow and low, the green beans and onions become sweet and tender. Feta cheese is the perfect salty complement to the sweetness from the veggies.
This is one of those recipes that tastes even better than you think it will!
If you’re looking for a holiday side dish with fewer calories but tons of flavor, this is a must-try! I mean, I love green bean casserole as much as anyone, but it is always nice to have other options and try something new!
Feta Green Beans Ingredients
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- Fresh green beans — washed and stems cut off
- Onion — sliced thin
- Butter
- Olive Oil
- Feta cheese — crumbled
- Dill — optional
Handy Kitchen Tools
Instructions
To prep:
- Rinse and drain the green beans. Trim by cutting off the stem at the end.
- Peel an onion, slice in half lengthwise and then slice each half into thin slices.
- Heat a pat of butter(2 Tablespoon) and olive oil in a large skillet that has a lid.
When oil is heated add the sliced onions and green beans and give them a stir.
Stir often as the green beans cook and the onions caramelize. You can cover the pan to help with the cooking.
Cook over medium heat until beans are tender, and onions are browned. Allow for half an hour total time. Keep an eye on them and reduce the heat if it looks like they may start to cook too quickly, as you don’t want them to scorch.
Once the green beans and onions are cooked crumble the feta cheese over the top. Cook an additional five minutes or until the feta is warm and soft.
Remove from heat and sprinkle dill on top, to taste. My favorite topping is a pinch of fresh dill weed. However, a touch of cracked black pepper would also be fabulous!
A Few Cooking Tips
- I really like my green beans cooked well and when making this, I probably cook mine more than other people. If you prefer your green beans more crisp-tender, add them after the onions and cook them for less time.
- You can also add more onion. I usually use an entire large onion. It cooks down, so it really doesn’t seem like much in the end. Plus, the slow cooking makes the onion slices sweet and delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Dish Keto Friendly?
One of the things I love most about this recipe is that there is no added sugar or flour. If you are eating keto or low carb it can work for you!
The recipe as written has about 6g net carbohydrates per serving (8g total carbs – 2g fiber). Serving size is based on 6 servings total. We used a whole onion, but using half an onion instead would lower the carb count slightly.
Bonus: feta cheese contains more calcium than most cheeses, so this seemingly simple side dish packs a nutritious punch! The green beans also provide vitamin A and vitamin C, so worth a few carbs in my opinion!
Is this Recipe Vegetarian?
This dish contains feta cheese, and many vegetarians consume dairy products, so it could be considered vegetarian-friendly (though not vegan). One watch-out is the type of rennet (enzyme) used to process the cheese. Traditional feta uses animal-based rennet, but there are some feta products that use plant-based rennet. Check labels to be sure.
Easy Sautéed Green Beans Recipe (Printable Copy)
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Sautéed Green Beans with Feta Cheese
Equipment
- Large pan with lid
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans stems removed
- 1 onion sliced thin
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ounces feta cheese crumbled
- 1 teaspoon dill
Instructions
- Wash and trim the green beans by cutting off the stem on the end.
- Peel an onion, slice in half lengthwise and then slice each half into thin slices.
- Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet that has a lid.
- When oil is heated add the sliced onions and green beans and give them a stir.
- Stir often as the green beans cook and the onions caramelize. You can cover the pan to help with the cooking.
- Cook until beans are tender, and onions are browned. Allow for half an hour.
- Once the green beans and onions are cooked crumble the feta cheese over the top. Cook an additional five minutes or until the feta is warm and soft.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle dill weed on top if desired.
Nutrition
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