Home-styleEasy 35 min serves 3

Potato-Stewed Green Beans

Name: Potato-Stewed Green Beans
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Home-style
Ingredients: potatoes; green beans; garlic; light soy sauce; cooking wine; vegetable oil

土豆炖豆角 · tǔ dòu dùn dòu jiǎo

家庭快手版 · Home version: Family version uses gentle simmering and no thickener — just natural starch from potatoes to coat the beans. Restaurant versions often add cornstarch slurry for gloss.

My aunt in Harbin taught me this dish when I was twelve — she’d stir the wok with one hand while holding her baby niece with the other, saying, 'Stew it slow, like patience, and the beans will soften like your heart.'

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

Quick & Easy Comfort Food

Ingredients

potatoes土豆🛒 local300 g
green beans豆角🛒 local250 g
garlic大蒜🛒 local3 cloves (15 g)
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian15 ml
cooking wine料酒🏮 asian10 ml
vegetable oil食用油🛒 local20 ml

potatoes: Waxy or all-purpose potatoes hold shape best

green beans: Look for firm, snap-prone beans; avoid limp or bulging pods

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

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Instructions

1Rinse green beans and trim ends. Cut into 4 cm pieces. Peel and dice potatoes into 2 cm cubes.
切匀防熟度不一
2Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant — about 30 seconds.
蒜香即出，勿焦
🔍 Look for Medium heat 30 秒 · 30 seconds
Visual: 蒜末微黄、香气初溢Garlic turns pale gold and releases aroma
You know it's right when: 闻香即止，不可变褐Fragrance rises without browning
3Add green beans and stir-fry for 2 minutes until edges darken slightly. Add potatoes and stir to combine.
先煸豆角，锁鲜增香
4Pour in light soy sauce and cooking wine. Add 250 ml hot water — just enough to barely cover ingredients.
水宁少勿多，靠土豆出汁
5Cover and simmer on low heat for 20–22 minutes, stirring gently every 5 minutes, until potatoes are tender but hold shape and beans are soft with slight bite.
轻翻防碎，留豆角筋络
🔍 Look for Low heat 20–22 分钟 · 20–22 minutes
Visual: 汤汁浓亮裹菜，土豆叉压微绵Liquid reduces to glossy, clinging sauce; potatoes yield slightly to fork
You know it's right when: 汤汁能挂勺、泛油光Sauce coats back of spoon and shimmers

Tips

· Use waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold — they won’t disintegrate during stewing.
· Blanch beans 1 minute in boiling salted water first if you prefer extra tenderness (optional).
· Do not add salt separately — light soy sauce provides sufficient seasoning.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I skip Shaoxing wine? What's the substitute?

Dry sherry is the closest 1:1 swap (fidelity ~80%). No sherry? Use a splash of white wine plus a little water, or just skip it and add a tiny extra pinch of sugar — the wine's job is depth and removing meat's gamey notes, and a good marinade covers most of it.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

Is there a vegan substitute for oyster sauce?

Yes — 'mushroom oyster sauce' (often labeled vegetarian/vegan) is sold in most Asian grocers and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. It behaves 1:1 and adds the same glossy umami. Watch labels if you're also gluten-free; most brands are GF, some aren't.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

What's the difference between light and dark soy sauce?

Light soy (生抽) is the everyday salty seasoning — thin and salty, used in most recipes. Dark soy (老抽) is thicker, darker, slightly sweet, and used mostly for color (braises, fried rice). If you only buy one, get light soy. For dark soy's color: 1 tbsp light soy + a pinch of sugar + a few drops of molasses.

Source: HǎoWèi pantry guide