These sesame ginger green beans are tender crisp and a little spicy. This recipe makes a quick low-carb, keto, vegan and paleo side dish, flavoured with garlic, ginger and jalapeño.
These Keto Sesame Ginger Green Beans are a game-changer! If you need new green bean recipe ideas, look no further! These spicy green beans are delicious.
We love fresh green beans and usually just eat them lightly steamed. But sometimes we like to fancy them up a bit and these Sesame Ginger Green Beans have become one of our favourite green bean recipes.
I am overloaded with green beans. Yesterday I picked more than 450 beans from one short six-foot row in my garden and I did the same two days before that, and again two days before that.
I keep hoping that the plants will stop producing, but today there are more waiting to be picked. Thankfully, I found homes for the surplus with family, neighbours and friends.
Here's what you'll need to make this healthy green bean side dish:
🛒Ingredients
- fresh green beans
- a shallot
- a couple of cloves of garlic
- fresh ginger
- sesame oil
- tamari gluten-free soy sauce: or coconut aminos for paleo diet
- sesame seeds
🔪 Instructions
See complete instructions in the recipe card below.
- Blanch the beans first by briefly cooking in boiling water and then plunging into an ice bath.
- Heat a wok or large skillet, then add sesame oil. Quickly stir fry the shallot, garlic, ginger and jalapeño for 30 seconds. Add the beans and toss. Cook for 2 minutes, then add coconut aminos or soy sauce and stir until well coated. Cook for a further 2 minutes or just until beans are crisp tender.
- Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve!
How to blanch beans
Put the trimmed beans in a pot of boiling water and cook just until they turn bright green and are crisp-tender, no more than 4 - 5 minutes.
Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beans from the boiling water and immediately plunge them into the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Let them chill in the ice water, then drain and pat dry before adding them to the wok or skillet with the other ingredients.
Plunge blanched beans into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. 
Sauté beans with ginger, garlic, shallot and jalapeño.
Frequently asked questions
Blanching beans before sautéing them helps to tenderize them. This method keeps them beautifully green and crisp--much more appetizing than limp, dull beans!
Blanching and shocking beans is a great way to prepare part of this dish ahead of time. Once you've shocked the beans in ice water, pat them dry, wrap in paper towel and then in a container. They'll be ready for you to sauté with the remaining ingredients just before serving.
For more information about this "blanch and shock" method, refer to How to Cook Green Beans by Jessica Gavin.
Sesame Ginger Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon ginger, finely grated
- ½ medium jalapeño pepper, finely minced (optional)
- 2 tablespoon coconut aminos, (for paleo diet) or gluten-free tamari
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Wash beans and trim stem end.
- Blanch the beans: plunge into a large pot of boiling water just until the beans turn bright green, then immediately plunge into a large bowl of ice water. Drain in a colander.
- Heat a wok or large skillet, then add the sesame oil. Quickly stir fry the shallot, garlic, ginger and jalapeño for 30 seconds. Add the beans and toss. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the coconut aminos or soy sauce and stir until well coated. Cook for a further 2 minutes or just until beans are crisp tender.
- Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Eileen
These beans are so easy and the fact the prep can be done ahead of time is very helpful especially when having a large dinner party.
Elaine
Hi Eileen, That's always a plus! Thanks for the 5 stars and for taking the time to comment.
Rachel @ Simple Seasonal
What tasty looking beans!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
Good thing I have all the ingredients on hand to make these beans.. they are such a perfect side to accompany dinner tonight. Thanks!