Inspired by Chinese cooking techniques, this recipe for garlic green beans yields tender beans with a slightly blistered exterior, and golden, lightly fried garlic. The only ingredients you need are green beans (string beans), oil, water, garlic, and salt.
The Most Versatile Vegetable Side?
A plate of garlic green beans is at home on the table with any main dish, from any cuisine. You could easily serve these alongside any Chinese spread, a simple meal of baked chicken, or a plate of pasta. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite easy dinner recipes to serve these green beans with, which run across a wide spectrum of cuisines: As a family that always dutifully serves a green vegetable with every meal, this recipe fits the bill for the green side dish to accompany any of these dinners!
The Techniques
Okay, so the Chinese techniques I’m borrowing here are: Don’t let that pre-blanching step turn you off. This recipe is still exceptionally easy. If you’re using a wok, you can blanch in the wok before using it to stir-fry, so you don’t need two pots. Water also boils exceptionally quickly in a wok! The blanching step helps to ensure that the green beans are nice and tender (not squeaky) and cooked through. This allows you to concentrate on quickly scorching the exterior in the hot oil, without having to worry about cooking them longer.
Garlic Green Beans Recipe Instructions
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the green beans for 2 minutes. Drain. (No need to shock them in cold water.) Once trimmed, I wash the green beans in a large bowl of water. Head a dry wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the green beans, and let them fry until they begin to scorch and wrinkle, about 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, and add the water, garlic, and salt to taste. Stir-fry for 1 minute, just until the garlic turns golden. Serve!
