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This Green Bean Stir Fry is crunchy, garlicky, and perfectly spicy! It’s a 35-minute recipe that transforms fresh green beans and baked tofu into a simple Asian-inspired dish with big flavors. Vegan; Gluten-Free and Oil-Free Options.
This Garlic Green Bean Stir Fry has your back when you need an easy dinner with fresh veggies and great flavors. It combines stir fried green beans coated in garlic, ginger, and soy sauce with crispy baked tofu for a satisfying Asian-inspired meal that’s great for any night of the week. One big CRUNCH and you’ll be hooked!
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Crunchy, Garlicky Goodness in 35 Minutes
When my garden is practically exploding with fresh green beans, the first thing I want to do is throw them into my Vegan Green Bean Casserole. It’s a classic during green bean season! But I may have a new favorite way to use them, and it’s this flavor-packed Garlic Green Bean Stir Fry with Crispy Tofu.
It’s an easy recipe that features some seriously crunchy sautéed green beans. Since sad, mushy green beans aren’t my thing, I made sure to cook them just enough for perfectly tender, crisp, and juicy bites.
The beans are coated in a spicy garlic and ginger oil for massive amounts of Asian-inspired flavors, then combined with crispy baked tofu. Just serve it all over fluffy white rice or noodles, and there you have it: a quick 35-minute meal you’ll want to make again and again (or at least during green bean season).
Ingredients for Tofu Green Bean Stir Fry
This vegan stir fry recipe is bursting with bold flavors, all thanks to fewer than 10 simple ingredients. These are the main components you need:
- Super Firm Tofu: preparing the tofu for this stir fry is even easier than in my Crispy Tofu Recipe. This is because super firm tofu is pre-pressed, isn’t packed in water, and is ready to be baked right out of the package. You can use extra firm tofu as a substitute, but I recommend pressing it for at least 20 minutes before baking to remove as much water as possible.
- Nutritional Yeast: this builds on the umami, soaks up extra liquid, and forms a crispy coating around the outside of the baked tofu cubes. If you need a substitute, cornstarch will work just as well.
- Garlic: sautéed garlic is the backbone of the savory flavors here, so try not to skimp! Save the jarred garlic for another time and mince the 5 fresh garlic cloves yourself for brighter pops of garlicky flavor.
- Green Beans: this recipe comes in handy when green beans are in peak season (late summer here in North America). They’re cooked just long enough to maintain their perfectly crisp, tender, and juicy texture. You won’t find any sad, limp beans here!
- Soy Sauce: both low-sodium and regular soy sauce are good options.
How to Make Green Bean Stir Fry
- Toss the tofu cubes in a bowl with the soy sauce and oil. Once absorbed, add the nutritional yeast and toss until coated.
- Spread the tofu cubes on a sheet pan and bake until they’re golden and crisp.
- Sauté the garlic and ginger in a large skillet or wok until fragrant. Add the green beans to the pan, toss well, and cover the pan so they can steam.
- Uncover the pan and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the soy sauce, and stir to coat the beans. Stir in the optional chili oil and sesame seeds.
- Serve the tofu green bean stir fry over rice and enjoy.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- For the best tender-crisp green beans, follow the steam-then-sauté technique. Steaming the green beans for 3 minutes will soften them just enough, while sautéing them uncovered will leave the outside crisp.
- If you have a wok, use it. I make all of my stir fry recipes in this Stainless Steel Wok. The wok will beat out your nonstick skillet any day because it was designed for high-heat cooking. Plus, its large, angled shape makes tossing the green beans and garlic very easy.
Serving Suggestions
Need dinner in a hurry? Too tired to cook? It’s this green bean stir fry recipe to the rescue! Seriously, I make this quick and easy meal whenever I’m craving a dinner that’s good for me and tastes amazing.
It’s pretty filling on its own, but also tastes great served alongside rice (my favorite), rice noodles, or udon noodles. I recommend topping each serving with some extra toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of chili oil for a perfect finish.
If you’re looking for more simple stir fry recipes, you’ll also love this Tofu Mushroom Stir Fry, this 20-Minute Ramen Noodle Stir Fry, and this Summer Vegetable White Bean Stir Fry!
How to Store Leftover Stir Fry
The leftover green bean stir fry will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Wait for the leftovers to cool to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container. Freezing is not recommended.
Leftovers reheat well in a lightly oiled wok or skillet over medium heat. Toss with a small splash of soy sauce or tamari until the green beans and tofu are warmed through and slightly crisp again.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Oil-Free Option: Omit the oil from the recipe and bake the seasoned tofu on a silicone baking mat or sheet of parchment paper. Pop it under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes at the end of baking to help it crisp up. For the stir fry, swap the oil with 2 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth.
- Tofu Substitute: Make this stir fry with my Easy Baked Tempeh, these Pan-Fried Soy Curls, or store-bought vegan “chicken” strips if you don’t want to use tofu.
- Optional Vegetable Add-Ins: Bell peppers, onions, snap peas, and mushrooms can be stir fried at the same time as the green beans if you’d like to add some bulk.
Recipe FAQs
The less time you spend cooking the green beans, the crunchier they’ll be. I found that steaming them for 3 minutes and stir frying them for 5 to 7 minutes left me with the best tender-crisp texture.
Yes, an equal amount of frozen green beans can be used instead of fresh (don’t thaw them ahead of time). Keep in mind that they may need a couple of extra minutes to cook through and won’t be as crisp.
Sure. Personally, I prefer to bake tofu because it leaves the inside more tender than it does when it’s cooked in the air fryer.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Garlic Green Bean Stir Fry with Crispy Tofu
Ingredients
For the Crispy Tofu:
- 16 ounces super firm tofu* cut into 1/2” cubes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or sub cornstarch
For the Green Beans:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or another high-heat oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ” ginger peeled and thinly sliced
- 16 ounces green beans ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
- Chili oil for garnish (optional)
- Cooked rice or noodles for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bake the Tofu: Add the tofu to a bowl and toss with the soy sauce and oil; once absorbed, add in the nutritional yeast and mix until evenly coated. Spread the tofu across the baking sheet, then bake in the top rack of the oven for 30 minutes.
- Green Beans: Warm the oil in a large sauté pan or wok over medium heat. Once warm, add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 45 seconds. Add the green beans to the pan and toss well, then cover and let steam for 3 minutes. Uncover and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to cook them evenly. Finally, turn the heat off and add the soy sauce to the pan, stirring well until all of the beans are coated. Add any additional soy sauce to taste, if necessary. You can also stir in chili oil or sesame seeds at this point, if using.
- Serve: Divide the tofu and green beans on serving plates and serve warm. Serve over rice, or as desired. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Tofu: I recommend using super firm tofu, which is pre-pressed and gets crispy faster in the oven. You can also use extra firm tofu, but I recommend pre-pressing it first for a firmer texture.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Oil-Free: Omit the oil from the tofu and bake on a silicone baking mat or sheet of parchment paper; broil for 3 to 5 minutes at the end of baking, to crisp it up a little more. Swap the oil in the stir fry with 2 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth.
Sooooo good! Flavorful, simple, clean!
Happy you enjoyed!
Soooo good!! Super easy, midweek meal that I’ll make again and again. Airfried the tofu and cooked it with sliced red onion. Served with udon noodles. Oh and I doubled the garlic because I’m pretty loose! 🙄
Sounds delicious!!
I also would like a substitute for nutritional yeast. The subs listed below by “Team” seem to be more about adding different flavors. I just want to know what to use instead of nutritional yeast since I don’t have any. I’m assuming a substitute for this solid powder would NOT be a liquid like soy or tamari sauce, no?
You can leave it out 🙂
This was so salty I had to add unsalted peanut butter and sugar to make it edible. Good base to work from though and some sorely needed inspiration.
I made this tonight for dinner and got 2 thumbs up from the kids! Easy and tasty meal. Thanks for posting.
So happy to hear that, Dickie 🙂
Recently went more plant based. This was the recipe that got me to try tofu. The recipe was simple and I must say delicious.
Makes me so happy, Cheryl!! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Very tasty! Was looking for something to do with green beans for precisely your reason, the garden is full of them right now! And the recipe actually did come together quickly as promised, which is always a plus! I added a little mirin as well when I put the tamari in for another layer of flavor.
Only issue I had is that my tofu turned out a little tough, tho I did use a baked, pre-marinated block (it was labeled super firm) since that’s what my store had that didn’t need pressing and the marinade flavor made sense for this (sesame ginger). I don’t know if that makes a huge difference moisture wise, but I think I would either bake at a lower temperature or for less time in future. I did like the hands off element of just sticking it in the oven tho!
Thanks Audrey! Super firm tofu is already on the firmer side and I do think it dries out some in the oven. I recommend extra firm tofu (that unfortunately you do need to press) if you’re looking for crispy edges with a center that is still on the inside
I recently returned from a yoga retreat inspired to put more effort into avoiding animal-based products. It’s daunting to reconfigure your arsenal of recipes, so I’ve been compiling vegan or vegetarian recipes that look like I actually won’t have to chop for 45 minutes before I can even start cooking. This recipe is ideal. It doesn’t really require measuring anything, very simple and tastes great. The tofu was delicious. This will definitely be in my weeknight rotation. Thank you!
Thank you so much Cindy!
How about suggesting substitutes for nutritional yeast? Would be helpful.
Certainly! Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy and umami flavor to vegan dishes.
Vegan Parmesan:
A blend of ground nuts (like cashews or almonds) with nutritional yeast can create a parmesan-like topping that adds a cheesy flavor. Pulse the nuts and nutritional yeast in a food processor until you get a fine, crumbly texture.
Cashew Cream:
Soak cashews, blend them with a bit of water, and add a pinch of salt. This creamy mixture can add richness to your stir fry.
Sesame Seeds:
Toasted sesame seeds can bring a nutty flavor to the dish, enhancing its overall taste.
Soy Sauce or Tamari:
For an umami kick, you can add a splash of soy sauce or tamari to the stir fry. This won’t replace the cheesy flavor but will add depth.
Dried Mushroom Powder:
Grind dried mushrooms into a powder and use it as a seasoning. It can provide a savory, earthy taste.
Really good. I added some mushrooms (stir fried before the green beans then added in with the tofu and soy sauce and a couple tbsp of chili crisp and served over rice. Great meatless Monday meal
Glad you enjoyed it, Margaret!
Recipe, video and instructions – 10/10
This is so easy and quick fix dinner, has been on repeat since we saw the reel. My 7yr old also loves this combination, green beans never tasted this good. Thank you!
So happy you loved it!
This worked out perfectly for our family of 4. The tofu is well seasoned, and the green beans were flavorful and delicious.
We love that, Nicole!
Made this today using 8 oz of tofu for 2 servings.
Used frozen green beans, precooking them in the microwave for half the time on package directions.
Also 1 tbsp ground ginger.
Nice meal served over noodles.
One of my absolute favourite go-to recipes for a quick weeknight meal! I absolutely love the flavours in this one and it comes together so quick and easy. This has also become mine and my husband’s favourite way to prepare tofu – you have opened our eyes to using nutritional yeast instead of cornstarch for more flavour! 10/10 all around
Thanks for the review, Jill!
Sooooo delicious i’m eating it right now, thank you so much for the recipe!!! Tofu is perfect crispiness.
So happy you like it, Lily!
One of our families favorite recipes! It’s absolutely delicious! Always my go to when I need to have food on the table quickly. We make it almost weekly.
Thank you so much, Liina! So happy to hear your family loves the recipe! ♥
Yum. So simple. Love being able to make a whole meal while my little one naps. I did the tofu in the air fryer for 20 mins on 400 and it was perfect! The greenbeans – mmmm! I served it over wheat/ ramen noodles mixed with a little vegan butter and salt. 100% would reccomend.
Thank you for the recommendation, Allie!
I’m very interested in air fryers right now. This could go in there right? I’m so confused on conversion times for air fryers lol. From baking to the air fryer.
This could go in the air fryer but I haven’t tested this recipe using that so I can’t exactly convert the cooking times yet.
We absolutely loved this recipe! Simple and very tasty!
Thank you for the feedback!
This was such a delicious and amazing recipe! I picked up my beans from a local farmers market! I did also add some garlic powder, iodized salt, and smoked paprika to my tofu prior to cooking. I also can’t seem to get tofu to crisp up well when baking (I do press it). I ended up frying it in some oil instead and it worked great! I loved the ginger and garlic combo on the beans. Will definitely be making this again! Thank you for sending this recipe 🙂
Thank you so much for the feedback, Colleen! Glad you loved it and I like that you thought of frying the tofu to crisp up. 🙂
Can we add peanuts to it ?
For sure!