Southern Green Beans and Potatoes

These Southern Green Beans and Potatoes are the perfect combination of flavors. Green beans and potatoes are cooked until tender in a flavorful broth. Have them on the side of your favorite Southern entree. 

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One thing that the South is known for is flavorful cooked vegetables. I’m not talking about just steaming or boiling the veggies either. I’m talking about cooking the vegetables in a flavorful broth until nice and tender. 

This broth sometimes referred to as “pot liquor,” comes from cooking either greens, like collard greens , or green beans in a broth that is seasoned with smoked meats. Typically, the smoked meats are whole smoked pieces, like ham hocks. When the vegetables are served, their usually smothered with the broth and some people drink the broth all on its own. 

For this green beans recipe, I chose to season the green beans with chicken broth and smoked bacon. I also added red potatoes. Red potatoes won’t always be found in a pot of green beans. But for one thing, it doesn’t hurt to add it. Serve this dish with Southern favorites like cornbread and meatloaf.

How to make Green Beans and Potatoes

First, gather all your ingredients. Make sure you trim your green beans and wash your produce.

Then in a heavy-bottomed pot, add bacon pieces and sauté over medium heat until the bacon starts to cook and curl, about 5 minutes.

Then add chopped onion and sauté until the onions have softened, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. 

Add the trimmed green beans, chicken broth, and butter to the pot and stir. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cooked covered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

After 20 minutes, add the cut red potatoes and stir. Cover and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes, until the red potatoes and green beans have softened. 

Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy. 

Substitutions for Green Beans and Potatoes

For this recipe, I opted to use smoked bacon but other smoked meats will do. Try using smoked ham pieces or smoked turkey.

You can also keep this recipe Vegan by eliminating the meat and subbing vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Can I make this recipe in an Instant Pot?

Yes. For the pressure cooker version, I recommended reducing the amount of broth to 1 cup. Then simply add the ingredients to your Instant Pot and cook for 9 minutes under high pressure. Once finished, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes and then quickly release any remaining pressure.

Should my green beans be crunchy?

Absolutley not. These beans are meant to be tender and that’s what makes them so amazing. Cook them until they are tender but do not cook them to long. Cooking the beans too long will lead to mushy beans.

Looking for other Southern vegetables recipes? Try these out:

• Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
• Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon
• Creamed Corn
• Smothered Green Beans

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4.75 from 28 votes

Southern Green Beans and Potatoes

These Southern Green Beans and Potatoes are the perfect combination of flavors. Green beans and potatoes are cooked until tender in a flavorful broth.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 318kcal

Ingredients

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
• 1 yellow onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 lb green beans trimmed
• 3 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1.5 cups chicken broth
• ½ lb red potatoes cut into 4ths
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add bacon pieces in a heavy bottomed pot and sauté over medium heat until the bacon starts to cook and curl, about 5 minutes.
• Then add chopped onion and sauté until the onions have softened, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
• Add the trimmed green beans, chicken broth, and butter to the pot and stir. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cooked covered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• After 20 minutes, add the cut red potatoes and stir. Cover and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes, until the red potatoes and green beans have softened.
• Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

• The red potatoes can be left out if preferred. Keep the cooking time the same. 
• For the pressure cooker version of this recipe, I recommended reducing the amount of broth to 1 cup. Then simply add the ingredients to your Instant Pot and cook for 9 minutes under high pressure. Once finished, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes and then quickly release any remaining pressure.

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal