These Sesame Green Beans may seem simple, but they totally pack a punch of flavor! You are only a few ingredients away from a delicious, healthy side dish.

If you love green beans, you’ll also want to check out these Sauteed Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes, this Fresh Green Bean Salad with Asian Dressing, or this Green Bean Recipe with Frizzled Prosciutto and Gouda.

I feel like I go through phases with my cooking. Sometimes, it’s all about trying something new, something different. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of survival and I need to get something on the table. And sometimes, it’s all about getting in the kitchen and really getting my hands dirty and cooking up a big, complicated recipe. (Ok, so this one doesn’t all that often, but it is still fun when it does!!) But there is one thing that I always come back to over and over again:

Simplicity.

At the heart of it all, I really value simplicity. And I’m not necessarily talking about quick and easy, although those things are great. But simple ingredients. Simple techniques. Nothing fancy – just good.

And that is exactly what these green beans are. Simple. Delicious. And even good for you.

How To Make Sesame Green Beans:

These green beans are cooked on the stove top and are very simple. You will need a skillet with a lid, but that’s it!

Start by cooking your sesame seeds in some olive oil, just until they start to darken.

Add in the green beans and cook them just until they start to turn bright green – this doesn’t take very long.

The garlic goes in next – you’ll want to only cook this until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Watch this, because you don’t want the garlic to burn and turn bitter.

Pour in the chicken broth, season to taste with salt and pepper, then place the lid on the pan. You’re going to be cooking the green beans just until they are crisp tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove the lid from the pan, and continue to cook just until the liquid has evaporated from the skillet.

Then you are ready to eat!

Serving Suggestions

I originally posted these Sesame Green Beans back in June of 2007, along with the Soy Ginger Salmon. Together, that salmon recipe with this green bean recipe is a winning combination. But I also love that these green beans would go with so many different meals.

Here are a few other great suggestions:

For more winning side dish recipes:

Tomato and Herb Salad
Korean Cucumber Salad
Lemon Butter Broccoli
Oven Roasted Carrots
Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto
Creamy Baked Asparagus

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