Hi everybody, this german green Beans and bacon Recipe “Westphalian snap beans” recipe is quite easy to prepare, and the green beans steamed in their own juice make a delicious vegetable side dish. I love these classic snap beans very much, and it always makes me remember my childhood so well. Here in Germany, we like to call them “Speckbohnen”. We used to have this delicious vegetable side dish often with the beans from our garden.
Sometimes as a side to German “Bratwurst” (fried German sausages) or most often with delicious homemade meatballs, usually accompanied by potatoes. A good amount of butter and some savory is essential for this recipe. For us, this really is traditional home cooked food and known in almost every German household.
German classic Beans with Bacon an Onion
The nice thing about it is that it doesn’t take long at all to prepare, so it’s super suitable for busier weekdays. This hearty meal, makes you quickly forget about the temperatures in the cold season and warms you up from the inside. For me, a solid and hearty meal that I can’t get enough of. To prepare the green beans, simply rinse them under running water and then lay a handful of beans lengthwise on a cutting board and cut off the tops and ends of the beans with a large knife.
CLASSIC GERMAN GREEN BEANS
The beans are then cut into equal sized pieces and placed in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Remember to briefly rinse with ice-cold water after that, this will help them keep their fresh green color. In the meantime, dice the bacon and peel and dice the onion. If you like, you can also add 1-2 cloves of garlic. The bacon and onion cubes are sautéed in a little butter for about 5 minutes, and then the precooked beans are folded in and steamed in their own juice for another 5 minutes and seasoned with salt and pepper. So delicious!
WESTPHALIAN GREEN BEANS WITH ONION AND BACON
Snap beans are an incredibly popular vegetable in the German Rhineland. They are not only used for cooking, but also often pickled. For this, the long green beans are cut very small and pickled with salt, similar to Sauerkraut, over the winter. They are then acidic and somewhat salty due to the lactic acid. The beans are not only insanely popular here in the Westphalian Rhineland. Also in Lower Saxony or even in the neighboring Netherlands, the long green beans are prepared similarly and are a real regional specialty that ends up on the plate as a side dish on a regular basis.
My grandmother has often prepared a delicious hearty bean salad with the green beans in the past, or cooked a wonderfully delicious green bean stew with beef, which can warm you up on lousy cold days really nice and is an absolute stew classic that is loved by everyone here in Germany. In Turkish cuisine, the long green beans are often cooked in a hearty, slightly spicy tomato sauce.
German Snap Beans with Bacon and Meatballs
In Germany, we love to eat homemade meatballs with the delicious bean vegetables, so I’ve added my meatball recipe right along with it. They are also super easy to make, and it doesn’t take much time at all. In no time, you’ll have a traditional German homemade meal cooked up on your plate. Of course, you can also prepare the beans vegetarian. If you prefer it meatless, just leave out the bacon.
However, you should then season the bean vegetables a little more, because the bacon gives the vegetables a salty and somewhat smoky flavor. I hope you enjoy reading, strolling through and trying out my cooking and baking recipes!
This green bean recipe with bacon is very easy and super quick to prepare. The green beans are steamed in their own juices and make a delicious vegetable side dish. These Westphalian snap beans with bacon, onion and fresh savory go very well with homemade meatballs or German Bratwurst. It is best served with boiled potatoes.
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
- 1 pan
- 1 strainers
- 1 paring knife
Ingredients
- 1 kg green Beans 2,2 lbs.
- 1 Onion large
- 1 Clove Garlic
- 100 g Bacon 0,2 lbs.
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 tbsp savory
- 1 pinch Pepper
- 30 g Butter 0,066 lbs.
Instructions
- It is best to prepare all needed ingredients right at the beginning. You can do yourself a big favor by weighing and measuring your ingredients right from the start, too. Wash the beans, peel the onion and your garlic cloves. Bring a pot with water and a little salt to boil.
- Cut off the splits and ends of the green beans a little bit.
- Cut the beans into diagonal, equal sized pieces and boil them in salted water for about 10 min.
- After that, put the beans in a colander and rinse with ice-cold water.
- Fry the onions and bacon in butter until translucent.
- Add drained beans and sauté for about 10 minutes. The bean pieces should not become mushy, but still have a bit of bite. Chop the savory and add into the beans. Season with salt and pepper.
