Green Beans in Cream Sauce

Enjoy this simple vegetarian meal made with green beans and a silky sweet and sour creamy sauce. Perfect for a light lunch or dinner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Vegetable Recipes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 230kcal

Let the frozen beans thaw at room temperature. Bring enough salted water to a boil in a pot, about the same as for pasta. Carefully place the beans in the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Then remove a cup of the vegetable stock from the beans and set them aside, draining off the rest. Immediately cool the beans with ice water to stop the cooking process and allow the vegetables to retain their beautiful fresh color.

In a deep skillet or a large pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat and fry the onions you have previously chopped finely. Stir until the onions are glazed. This takes about 3-5 minutes.
Turn down the heat and add the flour. Stir for a minute. Then remove the pot from the heat. Gradually pour in the bean broth and stir diligently to dissolve the lumps. Note: This stage will take a bit of work, but be patient; if you pour in the warm stock a little at a time, you will end up with a thick, lump-free mash in which only fried onion is visible. Gradually add the milk and whisk.
Return the pot to the stove. Increase the heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Add the bay leaf and allspice, and stir in the vinegar. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and let it simmer for 15 minutes on very low heat. The roux will cook through nicely, soften, bind the sauce together, and lose the mealy taste.
Finally, take the pot off the stove and stir in the cream. If the sauce is too thick, add a little milk and whisk. Add a teaspoon of sugar and, if necessary, season with salt or vinegar to your liking. Remove the spices—bay leaves and allspice.
If the green beans are long, cut them into pieces about 1 ½ inch in size. Put them in the sauce and let them warm up for a while. Avoid overcooking the sauce, as the cream might curdle, mainly if you use light cream with reduced fat.

Makes 4 portions.
SERVING: Creamed green beans taste best with boiled potatoes that you have topped with butter and sprinkled with finely chopped chives. Another option is to serve them with bread dumplings. Also, add a halved hard-boiled egg.
TIP: Try adding a spoonful of chopped delicate dill leaves to the bean sauce just before finishing. It's great to spice up the taste!
STORAGE: Store the cooled sauce with beans in the fridge, where it will keep for up to five days.
The sauce will thicken the next day. Add a tablespoon or two of water while reheating, and acidify or season with salt and sugar if necessary.
EXTRA TIP: These cream beans in white sauce are a vegetarian dish. For meat lovers, add fried crispy bacon bits.