EASY SOY AND GARLIC GLAZED DELICATE WHOLE GREEN BEAN
You’ll be amazed by the great taste of this simple dish – green bean in soy sauce.
This green bean recipe in soy sauce is so simple to make that you won’t believe how amazing it tastes.
The delicate green beans and soy sauce go so well together that they complement and complete each other tastes.
An excellent side dish that steals the show
Green bean in soy sauce is a great side dish, and it goes well with dishes like meats, chicken, fish, or other vegetarian dishes.
The magic of soy sauce
I love using soy in my cooking. It adds a great extra layer of taste to dishes, and I use it to replace salt.
In this dish, the soy adds saltiness and umami taste to the green beans. A taste that compliments the beans and elevates their taste to an amazing dish.
Delicate green beans - frozen or raw?
Fresh green beans are always better than frozen ones. Where I live, finding fresh, delicate green beans is a rare treat, so in general, I use the frozen version.
If you are in luck and can get a fresh, delicate green bean, cut off the beans’ edges. And they are ready to be cooked.
Bear in mind that raw green beans might need a bit longer cooking time.
Delicate green beans - frozen or raw?
Delicate green beans, like their name, are more delicate than regular green beans.
The regular green beans will also go well with the soy sauce, but delicate green beans are more recommended for this dish.
Al dente
Al dente describes pasta that is cooked to be firm to the bite. The etymology is Italian “to the tooth.” We want the green beans to remain a little bit crunchy with a little bit of a bite to them – al dente.
The green beans are cooked twice, five minutes in boiling salted water, and then stir-fried in a wok. We only want to cook the delicate green beans partially to keep the green beans crunchy.
Ice bath
After we drain the cooking water for the beans, they are still hot. This warmth keeps cooking the beans.
To stop the green beans from cooking, we need to cool them down fast. In a professional kitchen, we would soak the green beans in a bath of ice water. this will ensure the full stopping of the coking process.
At home, instead of using an Ice bath, You can wash the beans in cold water a few times to stop the cooking process.
Working with a wok
Using a wok at home is very problematic. Woks need a strong flame to heat them. Always use your wok on the strongest heating power you have.
We want to stir fry the green beans on high heat for a short time to get the fried taste but keep it from overcooking.
If your heat source is not that strong, you can divide the beans into two batches and fry them in two rounds.
If you don’t have a wok use a pan but remember to warm it well before frying the green beans.
Working with a wok
When we add the soy to the green beans, we want to reduce it until it gets thick and goat the green beans. We need to keep tossing the green beans in the wok until they are coated nicely.
Every recipe is a base for a change
You can easily upgrade this recipe with new flavors and extra ingredients:
Ketchup – goes great with the green beans. add a sweet-sour taste to the dish. Just add two tablespoons when adding the soy.
Spiciness – Adding some chopped chili pepper to the dish when frying the garlic will add some fire to the green beans. How hot? you will decide.
Sweetness – Adding some honey or date honey will add some nice sweetness to the dish – pay attention not to reduce the sauce too much so the sugars will carmelize and burn.
Roasted sesame seeds – Adding some sesame seed that has been roasted on a dry hot frying pan will add a wonder fool taste and look to the dish.
Chef tip - Taking care of your wok
If you use an iron wok, it is important to take care of it after cooking.
Wash your work clean with water. You can use a non-scratch cloth to clean sticky bits of food.
Dry the wok completely on high heat. When the wok is dry, we will need to restore its coating.
The process is called seasoning.
To restore the coating, pour a few drops of natural oil on the wok and use a paper towel to rub the oil and coat the wok with a thin layer of oil.
Heat the wok on high heat. The wok will start to smoke while the oil burns and turn into a coating layer. Don’t forget to open a window.
If some places need an extra coating, you can rub some more oil on them with a paper towel.
If your work is not a traditional wok and has a Teflon coating or plastic parts, do not use this method, it might harm your wok. This method is only for classic iron woks.
Easy soy and garlic glazed delicate green beans
Easy soy and garlic glazed delicate green beans
Ingredients
- 800 grams delicate green beans
- 2 crushed cloves of garlic
- 2 -3 tbsp premium soy sauce
- 2 - 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 tbsp kosher salt
Instructions
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Fill a large pot with water
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Add salt to the water and bring to boil
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When the water boils add the green beans.
Cook for five minutes until al dente. Taste to check. If the beans are still hard cook for an additional minute or two and check again.
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Remove the pot from the heat and carefully drain the boiling water. Wash the green beans with cold water a few times to stop the cooking process.
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Drain the water from the pot.
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Heat the wok and add some oil to it. Carefully coat the wok with the oil.
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When the oil starts to smoke a little, quickly add the green beans to the wok and stir immediately. add the garlic and continue to stir to prevent the garlic from burning.
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Stir-fry the green beans for three minutes and add the soy sauce to the green beans.
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Toss the green beans in the soy sauce for three minutes until the soy reduces and coat the green beans nicely.
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Transfer to a serving dish.
