A northern Chinese style green bean and potato stew that is quick to make and bold in flavor. If you’re looking for a quick and hearty side dish, this one is definitely a keeper. {Vegetarian, Vegan}
Growing up in Beijing, green beans and potatoes were always a staple in our home cooked meals. My mom likes to use the leftovers from Red Braised Ribs or Braised Chicken as a base, and cook some green bean and potato in it to make a hearty stew. These braised dishes use a soy sauce based sauce with a lot of aromatics for a very savory taste, combined with the umami of the meat. The green bean and potato absorb the sauce and taste super rich and delicious.
But when we don’t have a leftover meat stew, this recipe really comes in handy. It uses just a few ingredients to make a hearty veggie stew that is just as rich in taste. It’s very easy to put together too, making it a great side dish for your weekday meals.
Green bean and potato stew ingredients
Tian Mian Jiang
Sweet bean sauce (甜面酱, tian mian jiang), which translates literally to sweet flour sauce, is also called sweet bean paste or sweet flour paste. It is a thick dark brown sauce made from fermented wheat flour. It tastes salty, slightly sweet, and has a savory umami that is similar to that of fermented soybeans. Tian Mian Jiang is less salty than yellow soybean paste (黄酱) and less sweet than Hoisin sauce. It is the sauce that accompanies Peking Duck and Moo Shu Chicken. And it’s the main ingredient for making Beijing Fried Sauce Noodles.
This recipe uses Tian Mian Jiang as a main ingredient to create a savory stew base that is full of umami.
You can find sweet bean paste at Chinese markets and many Asian markets. You can also purchase it on Amazon or on The Mala Market.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
- Sliced green beans
- Sliced potato
- Mixed sauce
- Chopped aromatics (green onion and garlic)
- Water
Make sure the potato slices are not too thick, so they will cook at the same rate as the green beans.
How to make green bean and potato stew
Making green bean and potato stew is super easy:
- Saute the aromatics
- Simmer the mixed sauce to draw the aroma out of the sauce
- Add the green beans and give it a quick stir
- Add the potato and water
- Cook until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened
- Garnish with green onion and enjoy
The key step is to slowly cook the sauce, mainly the tian mian jiang, to draw out its aroma. You should use low heat and slowly cook the sauce, so it’s roasted slowly without burning. You will see the sauce turn to a darker shade and smell very fragrant when ready. Once the base is created, the rest is really easy.
Once the dish is done, the vegetables will be tender, and coated with a layer of sticky brown sauce that is very rich and hearty.
How to serve green bean and potato stew
This Northern Chinese style green bean and potato stew is a great side dish to pair with many other mains, soups and appetizers for dinner. You can also serve the stew with steamed rice, just like we eat it in China. If you want to make this one as a main dish, you can brown some ground meat (pork, beef or chicken all work) before adding the sauce. The meat adds more flavor to the sauce and makes the dish a satisfying main.
Consider serving the green bean and potato stew with these Northern dishes:
- Garlic Beef (蒜香牛肉粒)
- Chinese Chive and Egg (韭菜炒鸡蛋)
- Chinese Ground Chicken Bowl
- Easy Beef Fried Rice (牛肉炒饭)
- Chinese Red Braised Lamb (红烧羊肉)
Other delicious side dishes
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Steamed Enoki Mushrooms (蒜蓉金针菇)
- Eggplant with Tomato (西红柿炒茄子)
- Soy Sauce Fried Rice (酱油炒饭)
- Choy Sum with Garlic Sauce (白灼菜心)
Green Bean and Potato Stew (豆角炖土豆)
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tablespoon tian mian jiang (sweet flour sauce)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Cooking
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 cloves garlic , sliced
- 1 green onion , sliced, green and white parts separated
- 1/2 lb (225 g) green beans , tough ends removed
- 1 (225 g / 1/2 lb) russet potato , halved then sliced into 1/4” (1/2 cm) thick pieces
- 1 1/2 cups water
Instructions
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and stir until the tian mian jiang is evenly diluted.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat until hot. Add the garlic and white part of the green onion. Stir and cook to release fragrance, about 1 minute.
- Turn to medium-low heat and carefully pour in the sauce. Stir and cook until the sauce is very fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the green beans. Stir and cook to coat the green beans evenly with the sauce.
- Add the potato and pour in water. Cook over medium-high heat until the broth is boiling. Turn to medium heat and cover the pan. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pan, cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and the vegetables have turned tender. If the vegetables have turned tender but the sauce has still not thickened, turn to medium-high heat to reduce the sauce. If the sauce is drying up and the veggies are still tough, you can stir in more water to keep cooking. Check on the pan frequently to make sure the broth doesn’t dry out. Once done, turn off the heat and transfer everything to a large plate. Serve hot as a side dish.
