One of my favorite things about eating Chinese food is that you’re almost always guaranteed to have vegetables on the table. You’ll find stir-fries chock full of veggies, or have entire plates just of veggies to go along with the meat and starch dishes on the table. So when I was having friends over for my Asian pork dumplings, I knew I wanted to serve some Chinese vegetable side dishes as accompaniments – namely stir-fried garlic green beans and spicy quick-pickled cucumbers. I’ll share the recipe for the cucumbers soon after, but below I’m sharing a quick and easy recipe for fragrant Chinese green beans that works well with any Asian meal.
Prepare the green beans
To get started, wash one pound of green beans and drain thoroughly in a colander. Trim the ends; I usually just use scissors to snip off the ends. Cut the green beans into segments about 1-1.5 inch in length (I often use scissors to do this as well).
Blanch the green beans: Place a large pot of water over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add in a tablespoon of salt and the green beans. Let boil for 1-2 minutes until the green beans are bright green in color. As the green beans boil, prepare a bowl full of ice and water. Drain the green beans and transfer into the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. After the green beans cool, drain in a colander and set aside.
Stir fry the Chinese green beans
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium to large skillet or wok over medium heat. Stir fry a tablespoon each of minced garlic and ginger, along with the white parts of three green onions for about 30 seconds. Add in a tablespoon of chili garlic sauce and sauté for about a minute until fragrant. You can find chili garlic sauce in almost any Asian grocery store – I was even able to find chili garlic sauce in the in the international aisle of my local Whole Foods. I use Lee Kum Kee brand, but this one also works great. But if you don’t have any, you can sub with extra garlic and chilies (or even some sriracha).
Include the green beans and the green parts of the scallions, along with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp white pepper, and 2 tsp sesame oil. Stir thoroughly. Sauté for another 4-5 minutes until the green beans cook through and the sauce thickens and glazes the beans, stirring often.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if desired. Transfer to a bowl or serving platter, scraping up all of the sauce from the pan. Serve the Chinese green beans while hot, garnishing with sesame seeds and fresh green onions.
Chinese Green Beans
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound green beans
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 green onions (or scallions), finely chopped with white parts and green parts separated
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Wash and drain the green beans. Snip of the ends. Cut the green beans into 1-1.5 inch segments.
Place a large pot of water over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add in salt and the green beans. Let boil for 1-2 minutes until bright green.
Drain the green beans in a colander. Transfer the green beans into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Once cooled, drain the green beans and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium to large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and white parts of the green onions. Stir-fry for a few seconds.
Add in the chili garlic sauce and sauté for about a minute until fragrant.
Add the green beans and the green parts of the scallions, along with the soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and sesame oil.
Stir fry for another 4-5 minutes until the green beans cook through and the sauce thickens and glazes the beans, stirring often.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if desired. Transfer to a bowl or serving platter, scraping up all of the sauce from the pan. Serve while hot.
No Comments