My New Favorite Recipe – Spicy Chinese Green Beans

Green beans are so delicious and easy just steamed with olive oil and salt, why bother doing anything else with them? For variety of course!

This recipe doesn’t take long to make, and the results are phenomenal and go with just about anything.

The thing I like best about it, aside from how delicious it is, is that the only ingredient that needs to be bought (or picked) fresh is green beans themselves.

Of course, this depends on your having a well-stocked pantry, which is key for being able to make really top-notch dishes on the fly. All of these items can be easily found in any grocery store, and properly stored, will keep for months, if not years.

Here’s what you need to have on hand so that all you’ll need fresh is the green beans.

Well-stocked Pantry list:

• Higher heat cooking oil (I like rice bran oil, but coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and peanut oil are all good choices)
• Dried red chilis (crushed red pepper flakes will do in a pinch)
• Garlic chili paste
• Soy sauce (make sure it a light, regular Chinese type, not tamari or dark!)
• Rice vinegar
• Sugar (optional)

Well-stocked Cold “pantry” list

• Garlic
• Scallion

And now for the recipe….

Spicy Chinese Green Beans

Ingredients

•  1-pound green beans, trimmed
•  2 tablespoons oil
•  3 – 5 dried red chilis
•  2 teaspoons chili garlic paste
•  2 green onions thinly sliced – white parts only
•  1 tablespoon garlic, thinly sliced
•  2 tablespoons soy sauce
•  1 tablespoon rice vinegar
•  1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
•  1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. To a large heavy pan or wok, add the oil and heat on medium-high heat.

2. Add the green beans and red chilis and stir fry them for 3-5 minutes or until they start to shrivel up a bit.

3. Add in the garlic, green onions, chili-garlic paste and stir to combine.

4. Cook the garlic mixture for 30 seconds to a minute then add in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, water and chili flakes if using chili flakes.

5. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until most of the liquids are completely cooked off.

6. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired.

*note, if you want to double the recipe, make it in 2 batches.

My advice—make extra so you can enjoy them for days.