Sautéed tender crisp green beans with earthy shiitake mushrooms. A 15 minute side dish perfect with any meal!
My mother in law makes this side dish every year for Christmas dinner with prime rib! It's so simple and good I could eat an entire plate!
Since Trevor is not a fan of mushrooms, I happily gobble his up. Oh wait... wrong holiday!
Why this recipe works
In this recipe, we're blanching the green beans and sautéing the mushrooms separately.
Blanching is a cooking method in which vegetables are placed in boiling water for a few minutes and then dunked in ice water to stop the cooking process. This process cooks the green beans to a tender crisp while maintaining their bright green color.
Meanwhile, getting the mushrooms nice and toasty in olive oil and butter brings out their flavor.
We set aside the mushrooms and then sauté the green beans for a couple minutes with the residual oil and toss back the mushrooms. This prevents the mushrooms from getting soggy.
This is a delicious, quick and healthy side dish!
Ingredients
What are Shiitake Mushrooms?
Shiitake mushrooms have brown, round caps and a savory flavor. They have a strong earthy taste and chewy texture. Shiitakes are native to East Asia and are commonly used in Asian cuisine to add umami flavors in stir fries, soups, and stews.
Fresh or Dried?
You can use fresh or dried mushrooms in this recipe. Fresh shiitake mushrooms can be hard to find so I always have dried mushrooms in my pantry.
To rehydrate the mushrooms, place them in a covered bowl of water overnight. Cold water soaks are ideal for best flavor.
If you're in a pinch, soak them in hot water and cover for 20 minutes. Covering the mushrooms will help them submerge in the water because they like to float to the top. A tupperware container works well.
After rehydrating, squeeze out excess water from the mushrooms.
You can save the mushroom water and use it like vegetable broth for soups, stews, pan sauces, or stir fry vegetables.
Step by Step Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and blanch for 5 minutes.
- Drain and place the green beans in a bowl of ice water.
- In a skillet, add olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, sauté the mushrooms for 3 minutes until golden brown and set aside.
- Add green beans and sauté for 2-3 minutes then toss in the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
FAQs
What can I serve green beans and shiitake mushrooms with?
Serve this as a side dish with any main entrée or eat it by itself with some rice! This would go great with tomato egg stir fry or chicken adobo!
Can I stir fry the string beans instead of blanching?
You can stir fry the string beans to save a couple steps but will need to use more oil. I recommend adding a splash of water midway through stir frying and covering the pan to help soften the green beans. Another method is to flash fry the green beans in an inch of oil. These methods may result in a different texture, or dull-colored green beans.
How long can I store green beans and shiitake mushrooms?
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Green Beans with Shiitake Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans trimmed
- 8 oz shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced, see note
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl of ice water.
- In a skillet, add olive oil and butter. Sauté mushrooms for 3 minutes until golden brown and set aside.
- Add green beans and sauté for 2-3 minutes then toss in the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- 8 ounces of fresh shiitake mushrooms or rehydrated.
- To rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms, soak in a covered bowl of water in the fridge overnight for best flavor.
- To quickly rehydrate, soak in hot water for 20 minutes.
- Trim off any tough mushroom stems.
Leave a Reply