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    home » recipes » sweet and savory sautéed green beans with basil

    sweet and savory sautéed green beans with basil

    published: May 12, 2019 by cindy chou · updated: Jan 21, 2021

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    Top image shows a plate of sauteed green beans and basil with a text overlay that reads "15 minute recipe." The bottom image shows the raw ingredients of green and purple beans, a clove of garlic, and fresh basil on a white plate.

    This quick and easy green beans recipe is packed with flavor. The aroma of fresh basil and garlic make this dish irresistible. Fresh green beans sautéed in a hot pan and finished with cooking sake, mirin, a drizzle of low sodium soy sauce, and fragrant basil. It's amazingly delicious and a bit addicting, yet super easy. Enjoy it while it’s hot or as leftovers!

    Top down view of sauteed green beans with fresh basil in a white patterned bowl over a soft blue background and fresh green and purple beans on the side.

    this quick and easy green beans recipe is packed with flavor

    A go-to Asian cuisine inspired green beans recipe that works with all string beans, including the purple waxed beans used in this cooking video.

    I first started making this dish 8 years ago when a simple, late-night meal at a Japanese restaurant inspired this recipe. The combination of soy sauce and mirin, which is a rice wine with lower alcohol content than cooking sake and higher sugar content, is what makes it so addicting!

    Fresh basil is also a key ingredient here and is often used in Chinese, Taiwanese, and Thai food. Sautéed basil will make your kitchen smell amazing.

    click below to watch how to make this addicting sautéed green beans dish

    Turn on your volume to hear the sounds of cooking. Cooking can be meditative and is a great opportunity to slow down, relax, and engage in your senses. Read more on our about page.

    Sweet and savory sautéed green beans with basil recipe video:

    main ingredients at a glance

    Vertical shot of fresh cleaned green and purple string beans, a glove of garlic and fresh basil on a white plate over soft blue paper. A basil plant in vase is in the background.

     

    INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE

     

    • 8 ounces thin green beans (haricot verts and/or purple waxed beans work well)
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 1 large bunch of fresh basil
    • cooking sake
    • mirin
    • low sodium soy sauce

    how to pick green beans and different green bean varieties

    Thin green beans such as haricot verts work best for sautéed or stir-fried green bean recipes because they're less fibrous and will give you tender cooked green beans with a slight crunch.

    Yellow and purple wax beans are also great options. You can mix in yellow wax beans if you're looking to add more color to this dish. I couldn't resist buying purple wax beans from the Santa Monica Farmers Market. It's fun to watch the purple slowly turn green when cooking.

    Choose beans with slender pods that are bright in color. The pods should be somewhat flexible but snap easily when bent, with a smooth surface free from wrinkles and soft spots. Avoid green beans or wax beans with mature seeds and swollen (bumpy) pods.

    What's the difference between green beans, haricot verts, and wax beans?

    green beans vs. haricot verts

    Haricot verts, also known as French green beans, are thinner and slightly shorter than green beans. Because of their smaller size, haricot verts are more tender and quicker to cook.

    green beans vs. wax beans

    Green beans and wax beans taste the same and can be used interchangeably in recipes. The main difference is pigment (color) of the beans, so you can choose a variety based on what you're looking for aesthetically.

    jump to recipe

    how to prepare green beans

    • Wash green beans with cold tap water.
    • Remove the stems - line up a handful of green beans with the stem sides facing the same direction and cut the stems off with a chef's knife.

    how to sauté green beans

    • Heat a medium sauté pan (12-inch) on medium-high heat.
    • Once the pan is hot, add grapeseed oil (or another neutral oil such as canola oil) followed by the green beans.
    • Sauté by tossing green beans in the hot pan with tongs or chopsticks occasionally to allow even cooking.
    • When green beans are slightly charred (about 3 minutes), add sliced garlic and stir.
    • Wait 30 seconds for garlic to become aromatic and add cooking sake to deglaze the pan. Cook until green beans are slightly tender and become brighter green (about 2 minutes).
    • Finish with fresh basil leaves, mirin, low sodium soy sauce, and remove from heat immediately.

     

    pro tips on sautéing and stir fry

     

    • Prevent cooking oil from burning by heating your pan before adding the oil.
    • Add garlic later or near the end whenever cooking over medium to high heat. Otherwise, the garlic will burn and make the dish taste bitter. In this recipe, it's best to add the garlic right before deglazing your pan.
    ¾ angle shot of sauteed green beans topped with fresh basil in a white plate over a white cloth and soft blue paper.

    COOKING WITH KIDS - what can kid chefs help with?

     

    • trim green bean stems by hand or with clean kid-friendly scissors
    • pick fresh basil leaves from the stem
    • peel garlic
    • measure out seasoning ingredients into individual bowls

    Since 2011, I have made this dish many, many times as an easy vegetable side dish at home and for my clients (it's a favorite for families with kids).

    Need green beans for a crowd? This is it! You can easily double this recipe to use for a potluck or holiday gathering.

    I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

    Happy cooking! ~ Cin

    more delicious asian recipes that go well with sautéed green beans

    • refreshing taiwanese cold noodles
    • vegetarian kimchi fried rice
    • korean pumpkin porrdige (hobakjuk)
    • vegan cauliflower, lentils, and cherry tacos
    • browse all main dish recipes
    • creamy miso peanut chicken lettuce wraps by pinch of yum

    Please give this recipe a star rating below and leave a comment. I would appreciate it so much and would love to hear about your experience or if you put your own twist on the recipe. Show off your results by taking a photo and tagging @thesoundofcooking on Instagram. I would love to share what you come up with!

    Disclosure: The recipe below may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases (your price is not affected by this commission). If you click on an affiliate link, you consent to a cookie being placed on your browser for purposes of tracking commissions. See our Disclaimer for more information.

    Top down view of sauteed green beans with fresh basil in a white patterned bowl over a soft blue background and fresh green and purple beans on the side.
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    5 from 8 votes

    sweet and savory sautéed green beans with basil

    This quick and easy green beans recipe is packed with flavor. The aroma of fresh basil and garlic make this dish irresistible. Fresh green beans sautéed in a hot pan and finished with cooking sake, mirin, a drizzle of low sodium soy sauce, and fragrant basil. It's amazingly delicious and a bit addicting, yet super easy. Enjoy it while it’s hot or as leftovers!
    prep time10 mins
    cook time5 mins
    total time15 mins
    servings: 4 people
    author: cindy chou
    Prevent your screen from going dark.

    watch it step-by-step: the sound of cooking® video

    ingredients

    • 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (or another neutral oil with a high smoke point such as canola oil)
    • 8 ounces thin green beans (haricot verts and waxed beans work well), tips trimmed
    • 1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
    • 2 teaspoons cooking sake
    • 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
    • 2 teaspoons mirin
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium

    instructions

    • Heat a medium sauté pan (12-inch) on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add grapeseed oil followed by green beans. Sauté by tossing green beans in the pan with tongs or chopsticks occasionally to allow even cooking.
    • When green beans are slightly charred (about 3 minutes), add sliced garlic and stir. Wait 30 seconds for garlic to become aromatic and add cooking sake to deglaze the pan. Cook until green beans are slightly tender and become brighter green (about 2 minutes).
    • Add fresh basil leaves, mirin and stir.
    • Mix in low sodium soy sauce, remove from heat immediately and transfer to a serving bowl.

    notes

    GREEN BEANS VARIETY PREFERENCE: Haricot verts, also known as French green beans, are thinner and slightly shorter than green beans. I prefer using haricot verts for sautéed or stir-fried green beans because they are more tender and quicker to cook.
    SUBSTITUTIONS: You can substitute mirin by using 3 teaspoons of cooking sake instead or substituting with a dry white wine and adding ½ teaspoon of granulated cane sugar with the low sodium soy sauce at the end. Make sure to use low sodium soy sauce instead of regular so the flavor of the green beans aren’t overpowered.
    course: Side Dish
    cuisine: Chinese, Japanese, Seasonal
    keyword: basil, green beans, quick recipe, stir-fry
    difficulty: easy
    tried this recipe?Take a pic and tag @thesoundofcooking! I'd love to see what you made.
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    cooking equipment and pantry items used in this green bean recipe

    Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means we do make a small profit from your purchases (your price is not affected by this commission). We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. If you click on an affiliate link, you consent to a cookie being placed on your browser for purposes of tracking commissions.

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    green beans nutrition

     

    Green beans are a great source of both insoluble and soluble fiber (good for your digestive system and a healthy heart). They're rich in vitamins A, C, K, folate, and essential minerals (we're talking vision, immune system, bone health and much more). Not to mention, they're also a low FODMAP food and contain protein.

     

    you may also like these other vegetarian recipes:

    « umami vegan gravy
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    Comments

    1. Jenny says

      January 15, 2021 at 4:41 pm

      Your post is such a great guide for green beans. The recipe is very fresh and lovely. I like everything about it. I am actually serving it tonight as a side to our dinner. Thanks so much for such a thoughtful post.

      Reply
      • cindy chou says

        February 02, 2021 at 11:59 pm

        Thank you! Glad to hear you got to try it right away and hope you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. Naiby says

      January 15, 2021 at 11:41 pm

      I don't think I've ever seen or noticed purple beans before. I love the color combo, and the Asian dressing is such a good idea!

      Reply
      • cindy chou says

        February 03, 2021 at 12:01 am

        It's a pretty color combo, but the purple beans actually turn green once cooked so using all green beans work just as well!

        Reply
    3. Kushigalu says

      January 17, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      Never tried green beans with basil. Sounds so flavorful. I will make this for dinner tonight.

      Reply
      • cindy chou says

        February 02, 2021 at 11:58 pm

        I hope you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    4. Amanda Dixon says

      January 18, 2021 at 12:23 am

      This is just the perfect side dish! I love how simple it is, but the fresh basil gives it so much flavor. I'm definitely making this regularly from now on.

      Reply
      • cindy chou says

        February 02, 2021 at 11:58 pm

        Thanks, Amanda! I'm so happy to hear you liked it. The basil really does amp up the flavors in this dish 😛

        Reply
    5. Jessica (Swanky Recipes) says

      January 18, 2021 at 2:53 am

      A little garlic and soy sauce pairs perfectly with beans. Loving the vibrant colors as this is perfect for a potluck.

      Reply
      • cindy chou says

        February 02, 2021 at 11:57 pm

        Thanks! I hope you enjoyed it 🙂

        Reply
    6. Nicole says

      January 18, 2021 at 4:47 am

      Green beans are one of our favourite vegetables and I'm always looking for new ways to prepare them. In summer, I love yellow beans (can't find them any other time of year) so I definitely want to try this with a combo of green and yellow. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • cindy chou says

        February 02, 2021 at 11:56 pm

        Glad to hear you'll be giving this recipe a try! It works with just green beans as well in case you don't want to wait until summertime 🙂

        Reply
    7. Nicole Washington says

      January 18, 2021 at 4:47 am

      I love green beans and basil is one of my favorite herbs. Naturally, I love everything about this recipe. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • cindy chou says

        February 02, 2021 at 11:55 pm

        Thank you. I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply

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    Hello! I’m Cindy Chou, RDN (she/her/她), a Taiwanese American chef and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (but you won’t find any restrictive diet talk here!). I'm also a hotpot addict and love to cook Taiwanese and other Asian cuisine-inspired dishes. Join me for umami-rich recipes, pro cooking tips, and relaxing cooking videos to help you slow down and create lasting food memories.

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