If you prefer to steam your green beans instead of boiling them then this is easily done but you still need to bring water to a boil. Trim and wash your green beans first and then place them in a steamer basket over a medium saucepan that has an inch of water. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the basket, and let the green beans steam for around five to seven minutes. Drain the water from the pan and return the green beans to sauté and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.