Garlic Transforms Canned Green Beans Into A Dish Worthy Of A Restaurant Menu

Dressing up veggies to make them more palatable can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make things like canned green beans taste better, and many of these methods only require one or two extra ingredients.

One secret ingredient that can majorly upgrade green beans is garlic. Since it's an aromatic ingredient, it can add a strong layer of both scent and flavor to any dish. As such, it's the perfect addition to finally make canned green beans a little more appetizing.

That said, when you're upgrading green beans with garlic, it's important to mince the garlic first. Mincing increases the surface area that's exposed to air, triggering even more of the enzyme alliinase to form sulfuric compounds. These compounds are responsible for garlic's flavor and smell, so the more the merrier. Plus, this restaurant-worthy trick helps evenly distribute flavor and ensures the garlic cooks through more quickly.

The first step in making garlicky green beans is to clean the beans. This entails rinsing your canned veggies with cold water to wash off excess sodium, as well as removing the stems so they don't affect the dish's texture.

After your green beans are cleaned, you can cook them in oil on the stove until they're tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. When the time comes to cook your minced garlic, you should do so in some kind of oil or fat. This helps the garlic soften and aids in releasing those sulfuric compounds. Of course, you also get the added bonus of another layer of flavor from whatever fat or oil you use.

Once your minced garlic has really started to release those aromatics, you can add your cooked green beans to the pot, tossing them until sufficiently coated. Top the dish with a dash of salt for a final burst of flavor, and you're ready to dig into an elevated meal that no one will guess started with canned green beans.