This easy runner beans recipe is ready in less than 10 minutes, and the perfect vegetable side dish for a wide variety of meals. Runner beans are sliced, boiled, and tossed in a delicious onion and garlic butter sauce.

Runner beans are one of those vegetables that many people struggle to find easy cooking solutions for – so today I’m sharing my go-to easy runner bean recipe for a quick, easy, and healthy side dish that tastes great too.

For more vegetable side dishes, try these roasted green beans or these delicious honey-glazed carrots.

Preparing Runner Beans

Runner beans are a popular vegetable to grow at home or at an allotment here in the UK. Every year, they feature in the list of items my parents grow on their allotment – which inevitably leaves them passing a lot of the beans they harvest onto my siblings and I, plus all their neighbors!

They’re somewhat stronger in flavor than green beans – and can also be a lot tougher, which means many people struggle to find simple and delicious ways to enjoy runner beans. 

Runner beans also need to be topped, tailed, and potentially stringed! You can do this by cutting the tail end off the beans, and then carefully sliding the knife into the top of the bean without cutting entirely though it. If a thick thread comes away too, the beans will need to be stringed (i.e. remove the strings down the sides of the beans).

You can then slice them thinly along the diagonal, either with a knife or a mandolin.

Ingredient Notes

The exact quantities of the ingredients you need for this recipe are included in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

Here, I’ve added a few notes on the ingredients you need, plus a few potential substitutions you could make if you can’t eat/find a certain ingredient.

• Runner Beans: You might have grown your runner beans yourself, or you can also get them from most supermarkets. Green beans would also work as an alternative.
  
• Onion and Garlic: Thinly sliced white onion and garlic, sauted until soft and golden, gives the runner bean recipe a delicious flavor. Shallots would work well in place of the onion.
  
• Rosemary: I also add a sprig of fresh rosemary (also harvested from the allotment!), finely diced, to this dish for added flavor. A teaspoon of dried rosemary will also work.
  
• Butter: The onion and garlic are sauted in butter in this recipe, giving your runner beans the most delicious flavor. Use olive oil as a substitute if you prefer.
  
• Seasoning: All you need is salt and pepper for this recipe!
  
• Optional topping: While not essential, this recipe is beautifully finished with a grating of hard cheese (such as Parmesan cheese or Pecorino. Note that Parmesan cheese is not suitable for vegetarians) and a squeeze of lemon juice. A sprinkle of sliced almonds would also be lovely.

How To Make This Easy Garlicky Runner Beans Recipe

Again, the exact step-by-step instructions and ingredient quantities will be in the recipe card at the bottom of this page. 

Below is an overview of making this recipe, plus some process shots to help you visualize how this recipe should turn out.

Step 1) Prepare Your Runner Beans

The most laborious part of this recipe is preparing the runner beans, as you’ll need to top, tail and string each bean, then slice them thinly.

Slice your onion and garlic now, too, so everything is ready to go.

Step 2) Boil the Runner Beans

Add the sliced runner beans to a pan of boiling water and boil for 6-7 minutes.

Step 3) Make The Onion & Garlic Butter Sauce

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a pan and add the onion, sauting for 5 minutes until it’s softened. Tip in the garlic and rosemary, and continue to cook for another minute or two.

Step 4) Add the Beans

When the beans are ready, drain them and add the runner beans to the pan with the onion and garlic, stirring to combine the ingredients.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and squeeze over the lemon and add the cheese if using.

Top Tips \ Chef’s Notes

• Preparing Your Runner Beans: You could use a mandolin or invest in one of these nifty runner bean slicers, but I prefer to stick on some music and just prepare the beans with my knife and chopping board!
  
• Caramelize the Onions: In this recipe, we saute the onions for just a couple of minutes until they’re soft. If you want an even more flavourful side dish, caramelise your onions (cooking and stirring frequently for 30 – 40 minutes) before adding the onion and runner beans. Note that this will of course extend the cooking time, but you could prepare your onions in advance!

Storage

This runner bean recipe is best served fresh and immediately upon cooking. However, if you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How To Serve?

These delicious and easy runner beans would be perfect served alongside:

• Crispy roast potatoes
• Roasted green beans
• Pesto pasta
• Easy courgette fritters
• Simple tomato gnocchi

FAQs

What are runner beans?

Runner beans are long, flat green beans with vibrant red or white flowers. They’re super popular in UK gardens, both for their looks and their tasty pods.

Are runner beans different from green beans?

Yes, they are! Runner beans are a bit bigger and more fibrous than green beans. Plus, they grow on tall, climbing vines, unlike the smaller bush varieties of green beans.

How to prepare runner beans?

Give them a good wash, trim the ends, and slice them into even strips or chunks. They’re now ready to cook!

How long to cook runner beans for?

Boil or steam them for about 5-7 minutes until they’re tender but still have a bit of bite. Perfect for your summer salads or Sunday roast!