Garlic and Miso Green Beans

This is one of those dishes that if I ordered it as an appetizer at a restaurant I'd immediately wish I could just get another order and call it my meal too. It's just that good. This is a highly addictive dish, but luckily, it's pretty good for you, so you can totally feel fine about cleaning your plate.

This would make a really wonderful side dish, but I also think that adding this over (brown) fried rice would be a great meal option as well. You can decided how you'd like to serve it up; just be sure to try this one.

Garlic and Miso Green Beans, serves 2-4 depending how greedy of a serving you want. :)

12 ounces fresh green beans
5 garlic cloves (or more if you really love garlic)
3 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon miso paste
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sesame seeds (optional)

Rinse and remove any stems from the green beans. You don't have to remove the tips, just the stems.

Heat enough water to fully submerge the beans in a large pot over high heat. Once the water begins to boil, add the beans and cook for 3-5 minutes until they are bright green. Drain the beans from the water.

In a glass or small bowl, stir together the soy sauce and miso paste.

In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium/high heat. Cook the beans for about 3 minutes, until some of them begin to blister. Add the garlic, and cook another 2 minutes. Pour the soy and miso mixture over all the beans, and cook for an additional minute.

Pretty quick cooking time, huh? You can cook these a bit longer depending on what type of texture you prefer. These are pretty cooked through, but still taste fresh. I'm not a major fan of mushy green beans, so this is how I prefer it, but you do your thing.

Remove to a plate and top with sesame seeds, if using. Serve warm. Also, if you are not a big green bean fan, don't worry. You can totally use this recipe with brussels sprouts; I checked. :) Just cut your brussels in half, skip the blanching step (cooking in hot water), and cook the brussels alone (before adding garlic or sauce) for an additional few minutes so they have more time to cook through. Both are totally yum, just saying. Enjoy! xo. Emma

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.