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Enjoy Cold Garlic and Soy Green Beans as a side dish, appetizer, or snack. No matter how you choose to serve these freshly flavored green beans, you’re going to love how unique and delicious they are!
You know what I go crazy for during hot summer days? Cold food! Not any cold food, though – I’m talking about food that’s specifically meant to be eaten cold. There’s so much more to life than ice cream and cold fruits, too. Cold Garlic and Soy Green Beans are the BEST summertime snack or side when you want something savory, not sweet.
My mom made this side for us all the time when we were growing up. It was one of our favorites and we’d always ask for weekly repeats! That’s how you know it’s good – when kids are asking for more veggies on their plates. With green beans this fresh and flavor packed, it’s not a hard task to dig in and enjoy them!
I always make sure to blanch the beans just enough that they don’t get soggy and soft. I’m very particular about crisp beans, just like I am with my broccoli. This is still a great simple and yet so flavorful side dish to have on a hot day! Serve them crisp and cool, and enjoy.
What You’ll Need:
- Green Beans – Make sure they’re nice and fresh! You’ll want them to be totally green with no dark spots and pretty firm to the touch.
- Soy Sauce – I use a low sodium soy sauce to keep the beans from being too salty. Coconut aminos or tamari also work as a gluten free option.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic for this recipe for the best flavor.
- Sesame Oil – The slightly nutty flavor that sesame oil has does wonders for the overall flavor of this simple dish. Don’t substitute it with any other oil!
- Sugar – White granulated sugar is best here. It helps to balance the other bold ingredients while also adding a subtle touch of sweetness.
How to Make Cold Garlic and Soy Green Beans
For more detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post.
Blanch the beans. Blanch the green beans in a pot of boiling water for about 4-5 minutes and no longer. Toss them into an ice bath immediately after.
Combine the ingredients. Once drained, toss the green beans in a zip-top bag with the other ingredients. Shake it up!
Marinate. Let the beans cool and marinate in the fridge for an hour. Give them a toss, then marinate for an additional hour.
Enjoy! Give the beans a final toss just before serving. Enjoy them nice and cold!
Common Questions
Can I marinate the green beans for longer? I don’t recommend letting the green beans sit in the marinade for over 2 hours. At 2 hours, the beans adapt the flavors but maintain their crisp consistency. If you leave them for longer, you risk the beans losing that desired crunch.
Can I use frozen green beans? Only use fresh green beans for this recipe! Frozen or canned green beans will NOT yield the same results as fresh.
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Cold Garlic and Soy Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) fresh green beans
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) low sodium soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the green beans for 4-5 minutes, no longer, and then throw them in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Ice bath meaning a large bowl of water with ice in it.1 pound (454 g) fresh green beans
- Drain the beans and water.
- In a large ziploc bag, put in all the ingredients, zip it tightly and shake it all around until all beans are covered.⅓ cup (79 ml) low sodium soy sauce, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- Let cool in the fridge for 1 hour then toss them around again in the bag and cool for another hour.
- Toss the beans around prior to serving.
- Enjoy cold.
Ooooh – these look beautiful! I love sesame green beans! :)
I adore this! I am not a fan of hot as bawls. or balls. or bahhhls.
Pinning.
I’m also nutty when it come to the crispness of my green beans, it makes all the difference in enjoyment. I will try this recipe since my older son loves to eat them this way as well. Thx Julie!
I am loving this idea!! Sounds like a great combination of flavors! I haven’t made green beans once this year and I definitely need to remedy that.
Not sure why we never make green beans I love them and especially as a side dish like this! They look so yummy!
Tremendous… I’m making these tonight.
Thanks!
These really do sound perfect for a hot day when you need something but don’t really feel like eating. Lovely combo of flavours with the garlic and sesame.
mmm mmmm! so simple and sounds yummy for sure! i love crisp, cold greenbeans as well; such a great snack!
Mmmm…. love garlic! Could these be made in advance? I’m going to a potluck and these would be great!
Yes! They can definitely be made in advance, although, I wouldn’t make them more than a day in advance as they do become less crisp the longer it hangs out in the liquid.