I love green beans. But let’s be honest – too often, green beans are a limp, bland, steam or boiled after-thought. Even frozen green beans can easily move from a sad blob on the side of a plate to the star of your meal. In fact, they can be a shining cornerstone in many plant-based dishes!
Rather than steaming, think about roasting green beans. Green beans have a high water content, so why cook them in yet more water?
Mush, mush, mush! Why do that to these beauties?
A bit of char from the roasting also adds a complexity of flavor that steaming can’t match.
A bit (or a lot) of soy sauce and ginger adds a spicy umami that elevates the humble green bean to the star of your dinner.
Let’s Get Cooking
The Prep
Wash and trim 1 pound of green beans (frozen green beans work equally well here!)
Grate one tablespoon of fresh ginger (ginger powder is a great alternative if you don’t have fresh; just reduce to 1 teaspoon)
Measure out three tablespoons of soy sauce. If you’re on a doctor’s orders, feel free to use a low sodium soy sauce. Otherwise, go full sodium for full flavor.
The Assembly
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Drizzle a bit of grape seed or other neutral oil on a rimmed backing sheet. Spread green beans all over the sheet.
Drizzle soy sauce over over the veg. Sprinkle the grated ginger on top.
Pop in the oven. Cooking times will vary depending on whether you have fresh or frozen veggies (frozen take less time to cook). Check on your legumes in about 30 minutes.
The Payoff
This is such a great veg dish! it works particularly well with Asian-inspired entrees but it’s equally able to stand up to substantive American standards like meatloaf.
Roast and rock on!!
