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Delicious garlic ginger green beans are so quick and easy to make and will taste just like the Asian beans at your favorite restaurant!
I have lost track of how many times I have made these green beans this summer. In fact, I made them twice this past holiday weekend for two different parties we went too. They disappeared both times and the comments and compliments didn’t stop coming!
My green beans in the garden are finished so I’m now buying them at the farmer’s market and/or the grocery store. I never leave the store without a bag of fresh green beans because these beans are on the menu every week – at least once.
The best part is how amazing these beans taste but the second best part is how easy they are to make. The hardest part is snapping the ends off the beans. That is always one of my kids or husband’s job!
What Kind of Green Beans Should I Use?
Fresh greens are best. I prefer a longer, thinner, younger green beans such as a French green bean but regular green beans can be used too such as a Blue Lake Green Bean. Avoid beans that are old, thick with large seeds and stringy.
Ingredient Needed
- Green Beans.
- Garlic. Fresh minced is best
- Soy Sauce
- Ginger. I like to use fresh minced ginger but you can use half the amount of dry ginger.
- Rice Vinegar. This is found in the Asian aisle. If you don’t have any, you can substitute white wine vinegar.
- Salt
- Sesame Seeds. This is for garnish and optional.
How to Blanch Green Beans
- Rinse the beans and snap off the ends.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Place beans into boiling water for 3-4 minutes, depending on how thick your beans are. You want them tender but not too soft. They will turn a nice vibrant green in the water.
How to Make Garlic Ginger Green Beans
- Mix together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger.
- Drain the blanched beans in a colander.
- Run them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Pour the sauce over the warm beans and they are ready to eat.
- For a little garnish, sprinkle them with toasted sesame seeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen green beans?
Yes, you can. You can either blanch them like the fresh, or cook them in the microwave. Then add the sauce. I prefer fresh but frozen will work in a pinch.
What is rice wine vinegar?
This is a vinegar that is found in the Asian aisle and is actually made from fermented rice. It is a slightly sweeter vinegar but you can substitute it with apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and even lemon juice.
How to serve these green beans.
I have served them warm and at room temperature and they are delicious either way.
Pair This With:
Try some of my other favorite vegetable side dishes:
Garlic Ginger Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb. green beans trimmed
- 4 cloves of fresh garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1-2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Blanch beans (see notes for directions)
- Drain beans in colander and then spray with cold water to stop the cooking process
- While beans are cooking mix together all the other ingredients except for the sesame seeds.
- Pour sauce over cooked beans and stir to combine.
- Serve with sprinkled sesame seeds
Tips & Notes:
- Rinse the beans and snap off the ends.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Place beans into boiling water for 3-4 minutes, depending on how thick your beans are. You want them tender but not too soft. They will turn a nice vibrant green in the water
Nutrition Facts:
Joy says
Good recipe, but I added a little honey. Wow!
Barb says
Overall a good way to serve green beans, but this had too much garlic us garlic lovers. It literally burned like a hot pepper. We will make this recipe again, but will reduce the garlic by half and microwave the raw garlic cloves first to take out the bite of it. It may take a bit of playing around to get it just right.
Trisha @ Home Sweet Homemade says
I love, love, love that there are 4 cloves of garlic in this recipe! You can never have enough garlic as far as I’m concerned!
I’m going to party this weekend and I will be bringing these!
Liz says
Nice recipe. Thanks Leigh Anne.
Tiffany says
I LOVE finding new vegetable recipes and this looks like one we would love!!