Damn Delicious Szechuan Green Beans

So I was at the Calgary Farmer’s Market, browsing around Cherry Pit Inc and saw a container of Szechuan Green Beans that you cook and assemble at home. I took a picture of the ingredients and decided to recreate this from scratch. I started googling Szechuan Green Beans to get an idea of quantities and the method and came across this recipe by Dinner With Julie. She is a Calgarian (woo!) and is frequently sharing her recipes in newspapers and on her Facebook page so I was stoked to come across this one. I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed.

I am such a supporter of making vegetables taste good. How else can we get excited about eating our veggies and supporting our health?! Nothing makes me happier than to hear someone try a veggie dish and say “Wow, that is delicious”. Especially my Dad. He tried these beans after I made them (and photographed them), and said this: “These are divine! They have layers of flavour, and then the spice kicks in at the end. What would you pair with these?”. I thought about it and a white fish, garlic shrimp, or tofu came to mind. They would also make a wonderful appetizer. He said a nice white Riesling would go nicely (lol, that too Dad). We then devoured them, standing in the kitchen, eating with our fingers, and nodding our heads at how delicious they were.

Szechuan Green Beans

This recipe is from dinnerwithjulie.com. I have adapted it slightly by adding more beans, ginger, and green onion. Best eaten with your fingers ;)

Ingredients:

• ~1 lb green beans, washed, stem ends trimmed

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil

• 1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil (optional, but recommended)

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) grated, fresh ginger

• 4-5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 3 green onions, chopped

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce

• 1 tsp (5 mL) sugar

• a small squirt of sriracha (or garlic chilli paste), depending how spicy you like it

• toasted sesame seeds, to garnish (optional)

Method

1. Heat canola and sesame oil in a heavy skillet (I used cast iron) over medium-high heat.

2. Add the beans, cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until they start to soften and turn golden.

3. Add the ginger, garlic, green onion, soy sauce, sugar, and sriracha (however spicy you like it) and cook for 2-3 more minutes, tossing everything together in the pan, until the garlic is golden, and the beans are coated and sticky. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.