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Asian Green Beans
If you were hoping to find a delicious side dish that is healthy and packs a punch then these Asian green beans are something you are going to want to try. It is a combination of tender green beans with a crisp texture that has been cooked in Asian spices that transforms an ordinarily boring vegetable into something pretty special. If you love Asian spicy food then this side dish is right up your street.
Ready in minutes and packed full of great flavor, this is a perfect side dish that will work with any main dish. Serve them on the side of your favorite meat or fish dish, or stir them through rice and noodles for something a little different. It doesn’t even need to be an Asian style meal to still be a tasty side dish. As side dishes go, these are easy to make, use simple ingredients, and it is ready in minutes. What’s not to like? If you want to give these Asian-style green beans then here is everything you need to know to make them.
How to Make Asian Green Beans
Ingredients needed to make the Asian Green Beans
First of all, it is a good idea to ensure that you can get all of the ingredients together. Focusing on this first means that the cooking process will be simple. You will need:
- 1 lb of fresh green beans
- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
- 4 dried red chilies or use red chili flakes
- ½ tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon of minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of rice wine
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of chili oil
Ingredient notes:
Oil: I have used chili oil in this recipe as it will give a subtle kick to the green beans but if you don’t like the heat, you could try canola, avocado oil, peanut or sesame oil as substitutes. All of them will give great flavor to the dish.
Rice wine and soy sauce: This will add acidity and flavor to the dish and balance out some of the other flavors including the sugar and garlic. You could use rice vinegar instead of rice wine. Just reduce the quantity a little as rice vinegar is more concentrated. If you can’t get light soy sauce regular soy sauce will work just fine.
Sichuan peppercorns: A little different from your standard peppercorns as they have a distinctive Chinese flavor to them. You will easily be able to pick them up in the spice section of your local grocery store. You will definitely find them in an Asian grocery store.
Cooking oil: You can use any oil for this. Vegetable oil will work just as well as some of the other flavored oils which you can also use. Garlic-infused oil would be a great option but reduce the minced garlic slightly to balance out the overall flavor.
Sugar: White or brown sugar will work well in this recipe and it helps to balance out the salt and sour flavor flavors we all know and love from Asian cuisine.
Green beans: The star of the show. We have used fresh beans but you could use frozen ones. They will just need a little longer to cook.
Dried red chili: If you can’t get any dried chili then a chili sauce or a chili paste can be great substitutes.
How to make the Asian Green Beans
Now that you have all your ingredients to hand it is time to make the … .
- First of all, you will need to prepare the green beans. You can do that by washing and trimming them.
- Heat a pan, large skillet, or hot wok over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the beans and stir-fry them over high heat until the beans are a little charred. This should take around 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the sauteed green beans from your pan and set aside.
- Reduce the temperature of the stove to medium high heat and in the same pan add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the dried red chilies and Sichuan peppercorns followed by minced ginger and garlic, and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- The next step would be to add the cooked beans along with light soy sauce, rice wine, salt, black pepper powder, sugar, and chili oil.
- Stir fry everything for 1 minute and stir to ensure all the flavors have combined.
- Serve hot and enjoy.
Recipe notes and tips
When it comes to any recipe, it is always a good idea to understand what notes and tips you can use to help you fully utilize the recipe and have success each and every time. If you want to make the most of this Chinese green beans recipe, here are some tips and tips to help.
- You want the green beans to be charred a little as this brings out more flavor, but don’t overcook or burn them. It will take only a few minutes to get the desired texture on the outside but for the beans to still be tender and delicious on the inside.
- Keep an eye on the garlic and ginger when stirfrying as you don’t want them to burn.
- Serve hot. If you do make them ahead let them cool completely before storing them. Storing advice is shared further down the post.
- Make a double batch and freeze for another day. Details on how to do that are shared further down the post.
Variations to try
Like with a lot of recipes, once you have tried them out a few times you can look to make some changes and vary the recipe to suit your tastes and preferences. So I wanted to share with you some of them that you might want to try.
- You could sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the cooked Aisan green beans before you serve them as an added garnish.
- An extra drizzle of your favorite sauce could enhance these green beans even further. If you love heat then something like your favorite spicy sauce or chili garlic sauce will really help with flavor. An Asian-inspired sauce would also be a great way to increase the flavors.
- The stir fry method works great for these green beans but it is also a vegetable that works well in the air fryer. Combine all of the ingredients together and then put them in your air fryer for a couple of minutes.
FAQs
Like with any recipe, there are often questions that need answering. I thought I would share some of the common questions here.
Are green beans good for you?
The answer is yes. They are rich in Vitamin C, fiber, and Vitamin K. They are also a great source of carbohydrates. The perfect healthy side dish to enjoy.
How should I serve this Asian green bean recipe?
This is a truly delicious side dish that will work with so many dishes. A marinated fillet of salmon or breast of chicken, along with Asian green beans and some rice or noodles would be a tasty meal to enjoy. The flavors give a different twist to this side dish, so you can serve it whenever you would like a tasty vegetable side.
How should I use leftover green beans?
You can serve them again as a side dish or stir them in other meals like rice or noodle dishes. It is a really versatile vegetable dish to have in the back of your mind.
How do I store the delicious Asian Green Beans?
This is an excellent side dish to make, and one that you can prepare ahead of time. Let the green beans cool completely before adding them to an airtight container. You can then store them in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can also store them in the freezer where they will last up to two months. Just thaw and then reheat on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
I hope you enjoy making and eating your Asian green beans.
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Asian Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 4 dried red chilies
- ½ tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili oil
Instructions
- Wash and trim the green beans.
- Heat a pan over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the beans and stir fry them over high heat until the beans are a little charred (2-3 minutes).
- Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add dried red chilies and Sichuan peppercorns followed by minced ginger and garlic, and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add beans along with light soy sauce, rice wine, salt, black pepper powder, sugar, and chili oil.
- Stir fry for 1 minute.
- Serve hot and enjoy.
Nutrition
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