Old Fashioned Green Beans With Andouille Sausage: A Recipe With Variations

If you love fresh green beans with sausage, then you need to add this old fashioned green beans with andouille sausage recipe to your rotation. They are full of flavor and can be served as a side dish or your main dish. Use fresh or frozen green beans to make this flavorful dish.

Fresh Green Beans with Sausage

Last time that Barbara visited her favorite meat store, Rihm Foods, her good friend Joe gave her some Rihm’s Spicy Smoked Andouille Sausage to try. She couldn’t decide how to use it…the possibilities are endless. But then she found a green bean and bacon recipe and a light bulb went off.

This recipe is adapted from Barbara’s favorite cookbook Vegetables on the Side. It is her go-to cookbook for inspiration in the summer when vegetables from the garden are bountiful.

She swapped the bacon for the andouille sausage. The rest is history.

We love Rihm Foods because they almost always have some meat samples right there on the grill that you can taste. That’s our kind of place. And the customer service is top notch. Not sure how to fix something? They will give you suggestions or even recipes before you walk out the door.

Ingredients

• Olive oil (or butter)
• Andouille sausage, sliced
• Small onion
• Granulated Sugar
• Red wine vinegar
• Green beans – use fresh or frozen
• Salt and black pepper

How to Make Green Beans with Spicy Smoked Sausage

Step by Step Instructions

1. Steam green beans using a saucepan and steamer basket or in a microwave steamer until fork tender.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Cook andouille sausage and onions until sausage is crisp and the onions are translucent.
3. Remove the onions and sausage, and stir in sugar and red wine vinegar with the remaining fat in the skillet. Simmer until sugar is just dissolved.
4. Add green beans, sausage and onions back to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Toss the green beans in the dressing.

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool. Transfer to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Full recipe for fresh green beans with sausage can be found below.

Recipe Variations

• Use bacon instead of andouille sausage, or use other varieties of sausage links such as chicken sausage, Cajun sausage or kielbasa sausage.
• Swap other vinegars for red wine vinegar. Plain white vinegar would be fine, as would white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
• Honey, maple syrup, date syrup or a sugar replacement would work instead of regular white sugar.
• Start with a frozen steamer bag of green beans. Steam according to the package instructions.
• Add minced garlic with the onion. Or, add more flavor with onion powder or garlic powder.
• Steamed new potatoes or small red potatoes would be a tasty addition.

What is the difference between smoked sausage and andouille smoked sausage?

The main difference between regular smoked sausage and andouille smoked sausage is the seasoning and the level of spiciness. Andouille sausage is a type of smoked sausage that originated in France and is known for its strong, spicy flavor. It is typically made with coarsely ground pork, garlic, pepper, and other seasonings, whereas regular smoked sausage may have a milder flavor profile and different seasoning combinations.

Is andouille sausage ready to eat?

Yes, andouille sausage is typically fully cooked and ready to eat. However, it is often heated, seared, crisped up or grilled before serving to enhance the flavor and texture.

What can you add to green beans to make them taste better?

Make a simple sauce for fresh green beans by heating sugar and red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper. Toss the steamed green beans in the sauce. To make it extra flavorful, add sausage, bacon, ham or other smoked meat. Sautéed onions and garlic are also great additions that pack a bunch of flavor.

Our Favorite Green Bean Recipes

We love green beans and have several recipes on the blog featuring them. While fresh green beans are great, we love using canned green beans for an easy side dish.

• Old-Fashioned Green Beans with Bacon
• Sweet and Sour Green Beans
• Pennsylvania Dutch Green Beans
• Super Simple Crock Pot Green Beans
• Crock Pot French-Style Green Beans
• Hoosier Stew
• Tasty Green Beans

Kitchen Utensils

• Large Saucepan with Steamer Basket
• Cutting board and Sharp Knife
• Skillet
• Silicone Whisk