Gomae Green Beans
This is an easy to make homemade version of gomae, a dish I love ordering whenever I go to a Japanese restaurant. In this version green beans are used in place of spinach and tossed in a creamy sesame dressing. This salad takes just 20 minutes to make and is Paleo, Keto, Vegan and Whole30!
Gomae is my absolute favourite side dish to order at Japanese restaurants. Traditionally this dish is made of boiled spinach, which is topped with a thick sauce that tastes almost like peanut butter. When combined the dish is nutty tasting with a wonderful combination of sweet and salty flavours.
For this version of Gomae, I swapped the spinach for green beans but you could also use steamed asparagus.
I made a healthier grain free variation of the sauce by skipping the mirin and sake, and adding in a bit of tahini. The sauce is incredibly creamy with bits of ground sesame seeds that add a delicious texture. When making this recipe don’t forget to toast the sesame seeds, it’s a key step that transforms the flavours in this dish.
This is a really healthy dish you could prepare as a snack, or side dish. The beans can be cooked and the sauce made up to a day in advance and then added together before serving. Leftovers will last up to 3 days in the fridge.
Here are a few other green bean recipes that you might enjoy…
- Szechuan Pork & Green Bean Stir Fry
- Green Bean & Roasted Fennel Salad
- Lemon Roasted Green Beans with Almonds & Shallots
- Cauliflower Faux-Tato Summer Salad
- Spicy Asian Green Beans
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Gomae Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans
- 1/4 cup white sesame seeds + 1/2 tbsp for garnish
- 1 1/2 tsp honey (omit for Whole30)
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos (or tamari/soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp water (more or less depending on consistency)
Instructions
- Remove the tops of the green beans and cut them into 2 inch long pieces. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the green beans for 3 to 4 minutes until they are tender but not mushy. Remove from the heat, place in a strainer and rinse them in cold water to stop them from cooking further.
- Place the sesame seeds in a frying pan (with no oil) on medium heat and toast them for 3-5 minutes, stirring continually. The sesame seeds will become toasted and begin to turn a golden brown colour
- Put the toasted sesame seeds in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder until they are broken down into a crumbly mixture. Don't worry if there are some seeds that are still whole, the overall texture of the mixture should just be crumbly.
- In a bowl combine the honey, tahini, coconut aminos and ground sesame seeds and whisk together. Depending on the consistency you may need to add in a splash of water to thin it out.
- Transfer the cooled beans to a bowl and pour the sauce overtop. Give them a stir to ensure they are all well coated in the sauce and then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds as a garnish before serving.
Delicious! Unfortunately tamari isn’t SCD legal, so you might want to remove the tag.