Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD
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Key Points
Chefs agree canned green beans are versatile, affordable and easy to use.
Canned green beans work well in soups, casseroles and quick side dishes.
Rinsing canned green beans can help reduce sodium before cooking.
While it’s great to cook with fresh, seasonal vegetables from the produce aisle, there’s something to be said for having easy-to-use, canned veggies in your pantry as well. Canned vegetables are versatile, nutritious and economical, making them perfect for keeping on hand for those times when you’re looking to whip up a quick dinner or save money on groceries.
It’s no secret plenty of chefs trust canned tomatoes in their cooking, but are there other vegetables worth picking up from the canned goods aisle? We asked four chefs to name their favorite canned vegetable (that isn’t tomatoes), and they all agreed on the same one.
Turns out, canned green beans deserve some love as well. Kent Rollins, host of the Outdoor Channel cooking series Cast Iron Cowboy, says “good food doesn’t have to be fancy.” According to Rollins, canned green beans are a great example of just that.
Why Chefs Love Canned Green Beans
“Canned green beans are one of those pantry staples that have been around for generations,” Rollins told EatingWell. “They save prep time and can be easily added into a lot of different recipes to add flavor and substance.”
Pam Brand, a recipe creator and food blogger behind Biscuits and Burlap, says she finds that canned green beans “retain their fresh flavor and texture” better than other kinds of canned veggies. What’s more, she says because they’re fully cooked, canned green beans make “a great quick addition to recipes calling for green beans.”
How to Use Canned Green Beans
Using canned green beans isn’t all about serving them alone as a side dish on a plate. Rollins says there are plenty of interesting and flavorful ways to use canned green beans. “I love doctoring them up in a cast-iron skillet with a little bacon, onion, garlic and even a pinch of red pepper flakes,” he said. “They’re a go-to Southern side dish with chicken-fried steak, meatloaf or pot roast. I think they were on our plate nearly every Sunday dinner.”
Food blogger Rena Awada, who shares her home cooking knowledge at Healthy Fitness Meals, says as a mom of five, she’s always looking for convenient meals for her family, so canned green beans play a pretty big role in her weekly meal plan. “Anything braised or slow-cooked is where green beans shine,” said Awada. “I use them in green bean and potato soup or tossed into a slow-cooker chicken dish where everything melds together anyway. I also love them drained and sautéed quickly in olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes—it takes about four minutes and tastes way better than it has any right to.”
And yes, there’s an iconic holiday meal staple to think about: Chef and food blogger JD Alwine, co-owner of the Them Bites blog, says while he uses canned green beans for things like “a side for meatloaf” or “added to a vegetable soup,” he’d be remiss if he didn’t call out green bean casserole as the perfect use for those canned green beans. “Around Thanksgiving and Christmas green bean casserole is a must,” Alwine said.
Chefs’ Favorite Canned Green Bean Brands
But which brands of canned green beans are our chefs most likely to reach for on their grocery run? Rollins touts Allens green beans as having the “highest quality of canned green beans that maintain their flavor and consistency,” while Alwine reaches for Le Sueur for their “flavor and overall mouthfeel.”
Awada and Brand prefer Del Monte. Awada says Del Monte canned green beans are a “consistent texture, not too soft” and adds that “the sodium level is manageable, especially if you rinse them first.”
“I love Del Monte because the flavor and texture are consistently great,” said Brand, adding that she has another, lesser-known brand she often looks for in the canned goods aisle. “For a southern twist I use Margaret Holmes Italian green beans, known in the south as ‘pole beans.'”
Why Home Cooks Should Try Canned Vegetables
Still not sure about trading your fresh green beans for canned ones? There are plenty of reasons to give all types of canned veggies a try, according to our chefs. ” Convenience doesn’t mean cutting corners,” said Rollins. “Not everybody has time to snap beans, blanch vegetables and prep everything from scratch every day … folks shouldn’t overcomplicate their meals.”
“As of right now, the cost of living is becoming an issue for almost all Americans, and canned produce can generally be cheaper than fresh,” added Alwine. “Aside from that, it’s also easy to pop a can open, add a fat like butter and some seasonings to it, throw it on a stovetop and go.”
As for canned green beans specifically, Awada says it’s important to remember “the idea that fresh always wins is just not true in practice.”
“A canned green bean that actually makes it onto the dinner table beats a fresh one that wilted in the back of the fridge,” she added. “Cooking consistently matters more than cooking perfectly.”
The Bottom Line
When it comes to which canned vegetables are best for stocking your pantry, our chefs and food experts agree that green beans are worth your while. Abandon concerns that the green beans you cook with must be fresh, and remember that there are plenty of high-quality canned green bean brands out there that can help you save time and money in the kitchen.
Our chefs love canned green beans from brands like Del Monte, Margaret Holmes, Le Sueur and Allens but say you should find a brand that has the consistency and texture you like most. And at the end of the day, remember that choosing to cook with canned green beans is about something more important than the “fresh vs. canned” debate: enjoying a meal with the people you love.
“If a canned vegetable helps get folks around the table together and still puts something wholesome on the plate,” said Rollins, “that’s what’s important.”
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