Learn how to make delicious and healthy Oil-Free Sauteed Green Beans. This simple recipe has become a staple in my house. With sweet onion and smoked paprika. Whole foods, plant-based, essential vegan.
How to Saute Oil-Free
I’ve been cooking oil-free for quite a while, and it took me a bit of practice to perfect my saute skills. Many traditional recipes call for a couple tablespoons of oil or other fat. However, with this simple step-by-step approach, you can easliy saute oil-free!
- Start with a Wide Pan: This gives you lot of room to move around the vegetables. The more room, the less likely they are to steam and get mushy
- Steam the Green Beans: The quickest way to do this is in the microwave. Either, steam in the bag (follow bag instructions or plan about 3 minutes per 10oz). Or, steam in a microwave-safe bowl (covered with microwave-safe steaming lid).
- Saute the Onions First: Get the onions going first to help them soften
- Add a Splash As Needed: If needed, it’s okay to add a splash of water to prevent burning. Just be cautious to use a SPLASH (1-2 tablespoons). Afterall, you don’t want soggy green beans.
- Move quickly: Keep the onions and green beans moving around the pan to prevent burning and release their moisture. This helps give you that golden-brown edge (which adds a slight sweetness).
- Aromatics at the End: Add your garlic, spices (like smoked paprika) and fresh herbs (like thyme or chives) in the last minute of cooking. This will allow them to release their flavors while avoiding burning.
- Season at the End: Season with salt and pepper just before serving. Seasoning sooner will draw out moisture and might lead to over-salting.
What Kind of Pan is Best for Oil-Free Cooking?
My two favorite types of pan for oil-free sauting are Cast Iron and Ceramic. I love how cast iron pans can handle high heat, last forever, and impart that classic char flavor. However, ceramic tends to be my go-to for most weeknight cooking. It isn’t meant for as high a temperature, but it’s easy to clean and lighter in weight…much easier to carry to the dinner table.
I avoid traditional Teflon or other non-stick pans because they’re often coated with PFA’s that can leech into your food, especially if used over high heat. For more info about oil-free cooking tools, check out the post on Forks Over Knives’ site: Our Favorite Nonstick Kitchen Tools for Easy Oil-Free Cooking.
Why Should I Cook Oil-Free?
There are many reasons to ditch the oil in your cooking.
- Cut the Calories: Oil is 100% with minimal nutrition. It is the most calorie-dense food with 120 calories in one meager tablespoon. On top of that, there is no fiber, protein or any complex carbs in oil….it’s pure fat. Which means it’s very easy to eat a lot of it before your body will feel satiated.
- Cleaner Flavor: As a chef, I prefer the taste of oil-free foods. Whenever I taste vegetables sauteed with oil, they often taste greasy and heavy. However, oil-free cooking leaves food tasting purer, fresher, and lighter.
- Easier Clean-Up: Cooking oil often splatters your stove, leaves residue on cooking pans, and can clog your sink. However, water is easy to clean up and doesn’t leave a residue.
- Cheaper: Whether you’re cooking with olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, coconut butter, ghee, or a similar cooking fat, these processed foods have gotten to be quite pricy. And if you prefer higher quality or organic, you’re going to pay even more. Water is basically free.
What Foods Can I Cook with Oil-Free Saute?
Once you know the fundamental technique of oil-free saute, you can use it with all sorts of vegetables and stir-fries. Some of my favorite oil-free saute recipes include: Easy Oil-Free Garlic Greens, Super Veggie Oil-Free Fried Rice, High Protein Vegan Tofu and Cabbage Egg Roll Bowl, Plant-Based Oil-Free “Happy” Black Fried Rice, Oil-Free Brussel Sprouts in a Cast Iron Pan, and Oil-Free Vegan Sesame Tofu Green Bean Stir-Fry.
Chef’ Katie’s Plant-Based, Oil-Free Tips
Swapping out the Veggies: You can mix and match with other vegetables for this stir-fry. This is a great recipe for cleaning out the fridge or trying new vegetables. Swap out the green beans for asparagus, bell peppers, snap peas, or Brussels sprouts.
Oil-Free Mission: I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories, and oil is the most calorie-dense food. For this recipe, roasted almond butter adds rich, nutty flavor, while also bringing healthy fiber and key nutrients. You can substitute with other roasted nut or seed butter. For a less calorie-dense option, swap out the almond butter for 1 cup of chickpeas.
Smoky Flavor: Smoked paprika offers delicious smoky-sweet flavor, reminiscent of bacon. I call it my “vegan secret weapon” because it can really help you adjust to eating more plants. I use it on roasted potatoes, grilled corn, and potato leek soup.
Delicious Oil-Free Sauteed Green Beans
You’ll love this recipe for Delicious Oil-Free Sauteed Green Beans! It’s:
- Ready in 15 minutes
- Oil-Free, Healthy, Vegan
- Whole Foods, Plant-Based
- Gluten-Free
- A Great Way to Get Your Veggies
- Simple and Delicious
If you like this recipe, you should also check out: Easy Oil-Free Garlic Greens, Super Veggie Oil-Free Fried Rice, Oil-Free Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes, Oil-Free Almond Butter Green Bean Pad Thai, Oil-Free Brussel Sprouts in a Cast Iron Pan, Spicy Broiled Szechuan Green Beans and Snap Peas, and Oil-Free Vegan Sesame Tofu Green Bean Stir-Fry.
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Delicious Oil-Free Sauteed Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 12-ounce steam-in-bag green bean
- 1/2 sweet onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To Cook the Oil-Free Sauteed Green Beans: Cut a slit in the bag of the green beans. Microwave for 3 1/2 minutes, until tender but still bright green. You can also steam the green beans in small pot on the stove, for 3 1/2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a wide saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion. Saute, stirring often, until the onion is golden brown around the edges and tender in the middle, about 10 minutes.
- If the onions start to burn (or blacken around the edges), add 1-2 tablespoons of water, lower your heat, and stir.
- Add the green beans to the pan and stir well to saute.
- Add the minced garlic and smoked paprika. Stir well. Cook 30-60 seconds, just until you can smell the garlic and paprika.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 4.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 35 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 0 g | 0 % |
| Saturated Fat 0 g | 0 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 6 mg | 0 % |
| Potassium 212 mg | 6 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 8 g | 3 % |
| Dietary Fiber 3 g | 11 % |
| Sugars 3 g | |
| Protein 2 g | 4 % |
| Vitamin A | 21 % |
| Vitamin C | 20 % |
| Calcium | 4 % |
| Iron | 6 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
