Garlic Green Beans with Portobellos and Parmesan – four ingredients and SO healthy and delicious!

This is a bit of a cheater recipe, if only because it starts with another of my much-requested recipes, Garlic Portobellos with Pecorino Romano. But it’s one of my personal favorites and I make it so often that I was bound to make a twist on it at some point.
It happened when I was planning my Christmas dinner last month and realized I had nothing green on the table. Prime Rib with a Garlic-Peppercorn Crust, Carrot Souffle and Loaded Mashed Potatoes were on the menu already, so I needed something not only bright and colorful but would also have a different texture and a slight bit of crunch. Fresh green beans are so delightfully crisp and balanced nicely with the rest of the menu. Tossing some in with my portobellos was a perfect choice (and turned out to be one of the most popular dishes at the dinner).
To make these Garlic Green Beans with Portobellos and Parmesan, you’ll simply need to cook the mushrooms over HIGH heat (always cook mushrooms on high!), blanch the green beans then toss it all together with garlic and parmesan. More detailed instructions are in the recipe but that’s the gist of it. The best part is that you can blanch the green beans ahead of time then toss them at room temperature into the hot pan; they’ll heat up in no time. Be sure to keep them crisp; I like to take them out of the boiling water after no more than two minutes.
[Tweet “Always cook mushrooms over HIGH heat. Allow them to release their water, evaporate then brown!”]
I love this dish so much that I’ve made it to keep on hand for a healthy lunch, too. It’s great at room temperature so you could bring it to work and not have to worry about refrigeration as long as you eat it the same day. To keep it healthier, use a tiny amount of vegetable oil instead of the ghee (you need vegetable oil because of the higher smoke point, don’t use olive oil when cooking at a high temperature). The flavors are wonderful – lots of garlic and salty parmesan! I know you’ll enjoy this as much as I do.

Garlic Green Beans and Portobellos with Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, can also use ghee
- 4 portobello mushrooms, gills removed and thickly sliced
- 3-4 cups fresh green beans, snapped
- 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup or more finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add beans and cook for two minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Heat canola oil in a large skillet over HIGH heat. Add mushroom slices and cook, stirring occasionally until well browned, about 8 minutes. (Cook until mushrooms release their water and it's evaporated, then allow to continue to brown).
- Reduce heat to medium. Add green beans and minced garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for another two minutes, tasting and seasoning with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place on serving plate and grate cheese over the top.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 66 Saturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 2mg Sodium: 56mg Carbohydrates: 5g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 2g Protein: 2g
Sues says
I love simple and fresh recipes like this one- green beans are one of my faves!
Kristy Bernardo says
Thanks, Sues! I agree, sometimes simple is the best :)
Christie says
This is perfect. I love mushrooms in anything.
Kristy Bernardo says
You & me both, Christie!
John@Kitchen Riffs says
Someone should produce a line of t-shirts with food tips like “Always cook your mushrooms over HIGH heat.” ;-) Good reminder. And good recipe. Love that photo! So colorful.
Kristy Bernardo says
I would buy one of those t-shirts, John!! Thank you, cheers :)
heather @french press says
I bet I could get my husband to eat veggies with this recipe, looks to die for!!
Kristy Bernardo says
Thanks, Heather!
Susan@LunaCafe says
Oh how I love garlic green beans. The mushroom twist makes them extra festive. Will definitely be making this. Thanks Kristy! :-)
Kristy Bernardo says
Thank YOU, Susan! Cheers :)
Amy (Savory Moments) says
These green beans with mushrooms look delicious and also elegant. Plus I love all the garlic you have in there – yum!
Kristy Bernardo says
Garlic makes everything better :) Thanks, Amy!
Richard Clark says
Hi,
Tried this as a change from the dreaded green bean casserole.
I don’t know what I might have done differently, but this was a horribly bland dish. I cooked down the mushrooms using canola oil on high heat for at least 8 minutes, cooked the beans for 3 whole minutes in oiling water (and they were just barely beyond raw), I added the garlic, sprinkled the cheese.
The cheese obviously added some flavor but the garlic was barely noticeable and the mushrooms had no flavor.
I shopped for ingredients at my “standard” market down the street, the name of which rhymes with Ron’s, and the quality looked good. Should I have shopped elsewhere for the mushrooms?
Just really disappointed this didn’t turn out more flavorful – I really expected it to given the ingredients.
Obviously my thoughts are to add more garlic and perhaps finish the mushrooms in butter?
Agree? Other suggestions?
Thanks
Kristy Bernardo says
Hi Richard! First, I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you. I know what it’s like to be looking forward to a dish and have it fall flat. Second, I’m not sure what the problem could have been as it sounds like you did everything correctly. I know when I’ve served this dish it always gets rave reviews, so it’s disappointing you didn’t have the same experience. More garlic and butter is never a bad thing, in my opinion! :) I’d love for you to try it again if you’re up for it. By the way, I used to shop at Vons all the time! You aren’t in SoCal by chance?
Kelly Clark says
Hi Kristy, Yes, I’m in SoCal, South part of L.A. county.
I will definitely try it again, as I really want this recipe to work.
Where do you get your produce from? It *may* have been that the portobellos I got were old? (Though they didn’t seem like it…)
Thanks again! I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Kristy Bernardo says
hmmm…it’s possible but if they seemed okay, they probably were? I buy mine from several sources, usually a farmer’s market or Wegman’s in a pinch. I do hope it works for you the next time around! It always bums me out when a recipe doesn’t work for someone. In any case, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you, too! Cheers! :)