Simple Sesame Green Beans

As the holidays have come and gone, we look for new and easy side dishes to add to our repertoire since we don’t want to fuss too much but still want our veggies. Since I’m a big green bean fan – love the flavor and texture – I like to play around with different combos. So I was debating what to do with my package of frozen green beans (yup yup, no fresh for me, I won’t lie, I find them a HUGE pain to clean and prepare) when I flipped it to the other side and lo and behold, there was a recipe right on the packet. I read it through, loved it and prepared it. So, no credit to me but rather to the company, a supermarket chain’s (Shufersol) recipe, it’s a simple and quite delicious variation on my green beans.

So when I say simple, I mean simple. Take your packet of green (string) beans, I used a 410 gram one which is about 14 ounces and either microwave about 5-6 minutes or cook in boiling, salted water for 5-6 minutes, whichever is easier for you. (I’m a microwave girl myself).

Next gather your ingredients for the dressing together.

As you see above, I micro-ed the beans in a glass dish and this is perfect to pour the dressing over the beans and store in the fridge, by the by. K. So get yourself a jar or bowl with a fork or whisk and put your soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice, fresh or frozen grated ginger (I’m not a snob about this), brown sugar and sesame seeds put all together.

And, shake shake shake (but not stirred, my little joke) till it gets that nice emulsified look and it’s ready to go. Pour the lot on your cooked green beans and toss to completely coat the green beans. Now all you do is let them marinate, you can stir occasionally and the longer they sit, the more flavor you get, which is nice cuz they keep in the fridge a coupla days, no prob. And that’s all folks! I serve this as a cold salad but you can heat this up if you choose. A quick and delicious side dish for the holidays, after the holidays, or any time of year.

Simple Sesame Green Beans

1 package 410 grams (about 14 ounces) green beans

Dressing:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Microwave or boil green beans for 5 minutes (if boiling, add some salt, about 1/2 a teaspoon to the water). Mix together all dressing ingredients and either shake in a bottle or whisk well. Pour over green beans, toss well to coat and let marinate at least an hour. Even better if marinated longer.