Honey Garlic Green Beans

Crunchy, slightly sweet, and just this side of spicy, these honey-garlic infused Chinese green beans will delight your taste buds and leave your belly happy. Made with just six simple ingredients often already in your kitchen, this is the go-to recipe for when your garden is bursting with fresh green beans. Serve them as a side for burger night, or bring them along to your neighborhood barbecue. These quick and easy green beans are bound to be everyone’s new favorite way to serve up this classic veggie.

Ingredients for Chinese Green Beans

• Honey: This sweetener is mellow and earthy, and the ideal complement to fresh green beans.
• Soy sauce: We recommend a reduced-sodium soy sauce for a lighter, brighter umami flavor.
• Garlic cloves: You’ll be fined mincing four whole garlic cloves to give this recipe some punch.
• Salt: A coarse ground salt is excellent here with the honey and garlic.
• Crushed red pepper flakes: Known for boosting the bite, the spice factor of these flakes are balanced out by the honey.
• Fresh green beans: Fresh green beans are best; frozen will do if you have no other option. Either way, you’ll be dropping them in an ice bath to create a nice crunch.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare sauce, cook green beans

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In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, garlic cloves, salt and crushed red pepper flakes; set aside. Next, in a large saucepan or large bowl, fill half full with cold water and add ice. Then, in a 6-quart stockpot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add beans in batches and cook uncovered, until beans are just crisp-tender, two to three minutes. Remove the beans and immediately drop them into ice water. Drain and pat dry.

Step 2: Continue to cook beans, add sauce

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Coat the stockpot with cooking spray. Add the beans and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until slightly blistered, two to three minutes. Add the sauce; continue stirring until beans are coated and the sauce starts to evaporate slightly, an additional two to three minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

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Recipe Variation

• Top with almonds: Add thinly sliced almonds to the stockpot for an added crunch.
• Add onion: Add slices of white onion to the pan when you first add the green beans to the stockpot. The honey sauce is divine on both onions and green beans, and the flavors are worth the added bit of effort.

How to Store Chinese Green Beans

Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

How long do Chinese green beans last?

Cooked green beans will last in the fridge for three to five days.

Chinese Green Bean Tips

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What kind of green beans should I use?

There are a lot of fresh beans to choose from in the warmer months. This recipe can be used with a variety of beans–and they’re not all green. For a similar flavor profile, consider Haricot verts (a French green bean that is longer and thinner), wax beans (the yellow ones) and even runner beans (choose tender, young ones for the best flavor and crunch).

How do I keep green beans from getting soggy?

To keep a mushy mess at bay, first begin by storing your beans properly. Keep unwashed green beans in an airtight container in the crisper drawer of your fridge. No moisture should be present, so if you’d like you can even add a paper towel inside the bag to absorb any excess water. Next, blanch and shock your green beans properly. The immediate transfer to ice-cold water creates a delightfully crunchy bean, no sog in sight.

What else should I serve with Chinese green beans?

Light, tender fish is always a hit, as well as pulled pork sandwiches, a side of roasted potatoes or shrimp and pasta. These slightly sweet, slightly spicy green beans go well with a variety of foods; you really can’t go wrong.