Wonderfully tender-crisp and well seasoned, these Chinese green beans are one of my favorite side dishes.
The secret to delicious Chinese green beans is sautéing them until tender-crisp and not a second longer. The tasty sauce – garlic, ginger, soy sauce and honey – is super flavorful.
I like green beans. Simple boiled green beans, liberally salted, are wonderful. I also love spicy green beans. When tender-crisp, rather than limp and lifeless, green beans are like a salty, spicy snack. They are also very healthy!
Should I parboil the green beans?
Some recipes for Chinese green beans will instruct you to parboil the green beans prior to sautéing them. I lack the patience for that. I much prefer the method of simply adding a small amount of water to the pan after sautéing the green beans. One-step cooking is always better than two-step cooking, and washing one pot is preferable to washing two!
But is soy sauce healthy?
I think it’s fine to use soy sauce in moderation, and research seems to support my views. If you disagree, there are gluten free and paleo alternatives that you can use instead.
How to serve these Chinese green beans?
You don’t have to serve these green beans with a Chinese-style main dish. They are wonderful with any meat or fish. I often serve them with grilled chicken breast. They are also very nice alongside fried eggs, for a tasty and healthy meatless meal.
Still, obviously, these Chinese green beans pair well with Chinese-style dishes. So I often serve them with Asian meatballs, Chinese spare ribs or broiler sesame chicken.
What about leftovers?
You can keep leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave on 50% power. Sometimes I just snack on them cold – they are surprisingly good that way.
Chinese Green Beans
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 lb. green beans, ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the green beans. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry 1 more minute.
- Add the soy sauce and honey. Stir-fry 2 more minutes
- Add the water. Cover and steam until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat off. Drizzle the Chinese green beans with sesame oil, garnish with sesame seeds and serve.
