This simple summer side dish of corn and green beans with herb butter is so easy to make and is perfect for serving up alongside your favorite summertime meals! Fresh, sweet corn and in-season green beans come together with plenty of butter and a shower of fresh herbs in my all time favorite summer side. A wonderful way to use up summer’s bounty!
Sweet, fresh corn on the cob is synonymous with summer. I’m, of course, partial to the Jersey grown variety, but pretty much anywhere you go in the country, people will tell you that THEIR corn is the sweetest. I can’t speak for anywhere else, but I will say that what’s available at the farmer’s market this time of year – no matter where you live – is leaps and bounds better than anything you can get in the winter, and it deserves nothing but the best preparations.
And the best preparation 9 times out of 10 is simply boiling it, slathering with salted butter and going to town. The only downside is that it gets all stuck in your teeth, which is why I like this recipe better. Combined with perfectly in-season green beans and a shower of fresh herbs, this is like the best backyard buttery corn on the cob, only with even more flavor, and without a side of dental floss.
This is a simple side dish that can be whipped up in very little time and is so incredibly satisfying. Even better, it works wonderfully with leftover corn on the cob, too. So the next time you’re having a BBQ and are left with tons of corn at the end of the night, just remove it from the cob and make this the next day. You won’t regret it.
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This simple summer side dish of corn and green beans with herb butter is so easy to make and is perfect for serving up alongside your favorite summertime meals! Fresh, sweet corn and in-season green beans come together with plenty of butter and a shower of fresh herbs in my all time favorite summer side.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb fresh green beans, any variety (yellow wax beans and haricot verts are lovely!)
- 4 ears fresh corn, shucked
- 5 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted is fine)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup various fresh herbs, finely chopped, such as basil, chives, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, chervil, marjoram and parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water up to a boil, then add a generous amount of salt. Drop in the green beans and cook until they’re tender-crisp, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of ice water. Remove once totally cooled, then drain and set aside.
- Place the corn in the boiling water, then turn off the heat, and cook for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, and remove once they’re cool enough to handle. Place a small bowl upside down in a large bowl, and prop a corn cob on top. Run your knife down the side of the cob to remove the kernels, then repeat with the remaining cobs.
- Melt the butter in a large sauté pan, then add the corn and green beans. Season with salt and pepper, then toss the vegetables around until just warmed through. You don’t need to cook them to death. Right before serving, sprinkle 3/4 of the herbs over the vegetables, then toss to evenly incorporate. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Transfer to a serving platter, or serve them right out of the pan. Garnish with the remaining herbs. Serve.
Notes
- This is a very forgiving recipe. You can easily up the amount of corn or green beans as you wish, and adjust the amount of butter to your taste. You can add one fresh herb, or all of the ones listed. More herb variety will give you the best flavor, but it will still be good with even just one.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Keywords: summer, corn, green beans, side, easy, herbs, butter
Nicole Gaffney, aka Coley, is a professionally trained chef, recipe developer, tv host and food writer.
Wow, what a simple and great combination! Looks so refreshing and healthy!
Thanks, Joyce! Hope you give it a try!
Thanks for this super simple yet delicious recipe. I doubled the recipe for eight people at a summer evening event last night. Received lots of praises. It turned out yummy!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed!