Chinese green beans with spicy peanut sauce close up

You might not see green beans with peanut sauce on a Chinese restaurant menu, but it’s a popular homestyle dish I’ve enjoyed since childhood. The green beans are blanched until just turning tender but still have a crisp texture. They are then tossed in a peanut butter based sauce to make a quick cold salad.

Ingredients

You only need six ingredients to make green beans with peanut sauce:

  • Green beans
  • Unsweetened natural peanut butter: It creates the nutty base. You can use sweetened peanut butter instead, but the sauce will be less nutty. 
  • Light soy sauce: You can use regular soy sauce as well.
  • Garlic: Adds a nice punch to the sauce. 
  • Chili crisp: The key ingredient to enhance the dish. You can use chili oil (the kind that comes with chili flakes) as well. For a non-spicy dish, use sesame oil as a replacement. 
Ingredients for making green beans with peanut sauce

Do you like nutty sauce?

Nutty sauce is quite common in Chinese cuisine, whether in cold dishes, salads or noodles. In authentic Chinese cooking, the base of the sauce is often made with Chinese sesame paste, or 芝麻酱 (zhi ma jiang). It’s similar to tahini, but has a dark brown color and a toasty aroma. It’s a common ingredient in Dan Dan Noodles and Chicken noodle salad. 

When making nutty sauce, natural peanut butter is a great replacement if you can’t find Chinese sesame paste. It creates the most similar flavor and texture. 

Chinese green beans with spicy peanut sauce close up

How to make green bean with spicy peanut sauce

  1. Blanch the green beans until al dente, or to your desired texture. You should taste a green bean here and there during blanching, so you can remove the beans as soon as they’re fully cooked. Depending on the green beans, for example, young green beans that are in season, might require a slightly different cooking time.
  2. Mix the nutty sauce together, pour it onto the green beans, then top with chili crisp.

That’s it! In China, we like to plate the green beans first, then add the sauce on top for a nice presentation. You will need to mix the dish a bit before eating it. If you’re making a big batch of this salad to bring to a party or potluck, consider tossing everything in a big bowl first.

Green bean salad with peanut sauce can be made a day ahead and served later. 

Green beans tossed with a nutty spicy sauce

Other easy appetizer and side dishes

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Green beans with spicy peanut sauce is an easy appetizer or side dish that will fit nicely into any of your meals. Crisp green beans are tossed with a nutty sauce that is slightly sweet and tangy, enhanced by chili crisp for a satisfying taste. And it only takes 6 ingredients to make. {Gluten-Free Adaptable, Vegetarian}

Green Beans with Spicy Peanut Sauce

By Maggie Zhu
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
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Green beans with spicy peanut sauce is an easy appetizer or side dish that will fit nicely into any of your meals. Crisp green beans are tossed with a nutty sauce that is slightly sweet and tangy, enhanced by chili crisp for a satisfying taste. And it only takes 6 ingredients to make. {Gluten-Free Adaptable, Vegetarian}

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 lb green beans , tough ends removed
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened natural peanut butter
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic , grated
  • 2 teaspoons chili crisp

Instructions

  • Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and simmer until beans are cooked through but still crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain, then run cold tap water over the beans to stop cooking. Drain again and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of water, light soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic. Mix well. The sauce should be able to coat a spoon but not too thick. If needed, add more water to thin it out. Pour the sauce onto the green beans. Add the chili crisp over the sauce.
  • Serve at room temperature. Mix well before eating.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

  1. To make this dish gluten-free: Use tamari to replace light soy sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 115kcal, Carbohydrates: 7.8g, Protein: 4.2g, Fat: 8.6g, Saturated Fat: 1.6g, Sodium: 106mg, Potassium: 230mg, Fiber: 3.2g, Sugar: 2.1g, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 1mg

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