Southern-style string beans
Southern-style string beans are a classic American comfort food side dish, featuring green beans slow-simmered until very tender with savory, smoky elements like bacon or ham hock, onions, and sometimes a touch of sugar or vinegar. This method of long, slow cooking is characteristic of traditional Southern U.S. cuisine, resulting in beans that are deeply flavorful and soft, rather than crisp.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dish is generally moderate in calories and carbohydrates, with a small amount of protein and fat contributed by the meat and cooking fat. It is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin K, and vitamin C, and provides a good amount of other minerals like manganese and folate.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 120 kcal |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbs | 10 g |
| Fat | 8 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Sodium | 450 mg |
| Vitamin K | 30 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 15 mg |
| Manganese | 0.5 mg |
| Folate | 45 mcg |
| Potassium | 280 mg |
| Vitamin A | 700 IU |
| Iron | 1.2 mg |
| Magnesium | 25 mg |
Per 1 cup (180 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Culturally, this dish represents the 'low and slow' cooking philosophy of the American South, where tough or fibrous vegetables were transformed into tender, savory dishes using available meats for flavor. Nutritionally, the long cooking time can make some nutrients more bioavailable, and the dish remains a hearty, vegetable-forward way to incorporate fiber into a meal.
