Black Bean and Garlic String Beans

I love green beans and garlic together. Why is it that they go together so well? I'm not sure, but I know I love it. 

I also love putting an Asian spin on classic dishes, like green beans and garlic. For this dish, I used some diluted black bean garlic sauce to add some flavor, without the high sodium content. To do this, I first cooked the beans in garlic and olive oil, then diluted some of the sauce with a little water. I finished the beans by steaming them in the diluted black beans sauce. By leaving most of the sauce in the pan, I left a lot of the salt there too.

Enjoy this as a great side dish to some chicken teriyaki or any other Asian inspired dish!

Black Bean and Garlic String Beans

Serves 4

1 lb. string beans, yellow or green (or both!)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp black bean garlic sauce, diluted with 4 tbsp water

1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic, and saute for 1 minute. Add green beans and saute for 2-3 more minutes, until slightly done.

2. Add the diluted black bean garlic sauce to the pan and cover. Let steam for 2-3 more minutes, until beans are crisp tender. Stir beans in sauce, then remove beans from pan, leaving sauce behind.

Enjoy!