Eyal Shani’s Green Beans

The first time I tasted Eyal Shani’s green beans, I was convinced he had somehow imported a rare, magical variety into Israel. I couldn’t explain it any other way—how could something so simple taste that good?

The texture was perfect—not too soft, not too firm—and the flavor was incredible. A perfect balance of good olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest (which completely transforms the dish), just the right amount of garlic, and salt that pops in your mouth. Truly, the man is a magician. He understands vegetables on another level.

And honestly, getting simple recipes exactly right is the hardest thing. Anyone can pile expensive ingredients onto a plate—but taking a humble vegetable like green beans and turning it into something this good? That’s a real skill.

At some point, I realized it wasn’t about a special variety at all, but about very precise, thoughtful technique. And I promise you—if you follow these steps, you’ll end up with the most delicious green beans ever.

I’m begging you: don’t skip the step of immediately transferring the beans into ice water. That’s what halts the cooking, keeps them perfectly crisp, and gives them that beautiful bright color. And don’t skip the lemon zest—it adds the most incredible citrusy depth.

In short: trust the process 🙂

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Green Beans with Lemon, Garlic & Olive Oil

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Serves: 3-4 servings Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes 25 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 14–18 oz (400–500 g) fresh green beans (regular or flat)
• 1 firm lemon
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Maldon salt (or any coarse salt you have)

Instructions

– Trim the stem ends off the green beans if needed. – Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add about 1 teaspoon of salt. – Once the water is boiling, add the green beans and cook for 20–30 minutes, or until tender but still slightly firm. The exact time depends on how fresh they are—sometimes 20 minutes is enough, sometimes they need a bit longer. The best way is to simply taste one and check. – When the beans are ready, prepare a bowl with 5–10 ice cubes and fill it with cold water. Transfer the beans (without the cooking water) into the ice bath and let them sit for 3 minutes. Drain. – Finely grate the garlic clove directly over the beans, along with the lemon zest (use a microplane or the fine side of a box grater). – Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon, add the olive oil and salt, and toss well. – Serve at room temperature. If you prefer them warm, you can heat them briefly in the microwave for about a minute.

Eyal Shani's Green Beans

Notes

– You can use frozen green beans, but the flavor is different. For this specific recipe, fresh beans will give you a much better result. – If using frozen beans, cook them until fully tender and heated through (about 15 minutes), then drain and continue with the lemon, olive oil, garlic, and salt. In this case, you don’t need the ice bath.