Green Bean Omelet | 豆角煎蛋 | Simple & Delicious Chinese recipe

I want to share one of the simplest recipes I have ever written: the Chinese-style green bean omelet. 

What I like about this recipe is its simplicity. It only involves less than six ingredients, including oil for frying. It is a perfect recipe when you are short on time and ingredients but still want to cook something rich in flavor.

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🛒Ingredients needed for the green bean omelet

• Eggs.  I used four large eggs in this recipe. If you are using smaller ones, you can use five instead. Beat the eggs and then mix them with other ingredients.
• Green beans. I used the Asian long bean, which is commonly available in Asia. If you can’t get it, you can use the shorter French beans instead. The preparation method is the same.
• Preserved radish pickle 菜脯. I add a Chinese-style preserved reddish pickle as an additional ingredient. It has a slightly sweet and salty flavor, so you must reduce the salt added to the omelet.
• Seasoning. The seasoning ingredients that I use are salt and white pepper. No fancy ingredients are required.

👉 How to make the green bean omelet?

Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the green bean omelet.

1. Trim both ends of the green beans and then slice the green beans crosswise into thin pieces.

2. Cut the preserved radish into small pieces.

3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the sliced green beans and blanch for about 15 seconds. Remove the green beans from the boiling water and drain them in a colander.

4. Combine the blanched green beans, preserved radish, salt, and ground white pepper with the beaten eggs thoroughly.

5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then pour the egg mixture into the pan. Allow the egg to set without moving it for the first minute. Reduce the heat to low if necessary and wait until the bottom part of the egg is fully set.

6. Remove the egg from the heat, and then slide the egg onto a large plate. Cover the plate with a pan and then flip it over so that the top side of the egg omelet is now facing down in the pan. Continue cooking the omelet over low heat until golden brown on both sides.

7. Cut the omelet into wedges to serve. It is a quick and easy side dish.

💡Tips and notes for the best green bean omelet

1. This recipe is very versatile. For example, you can add minced meat to enhance the flavor and make it more wholesome. You can also add chopped green onions. As for seasoning, you may consider adding light soy sauce, but I omitted it to keep the omelet bright yellow. If you add light soy sauce, the color will be slightly darker. You can also use sesame oil and add finely chopped chili or chili flakes to spice it up.
2. The preserved radish pickles should be chopped into small pieces. Since different pickles may have varying levels of saltiness, it’s best to taste a small piece to determine the salt level before adding it to the beaten egg.
3. You can adjust the green beans and eggs ratio according to your preference. If you like more green beans, add extra and mix them into the beaten egg.
4. If you want to add chopped garlic, I suggest sautéing it with oil before combining it with the beaten eggs and green beans.
5. Blanching the green beans is optional, but it helps to remove the raw smell and partially cook them before adding them to the egg mixture. This step is especially helpful because green beans take longer to cook than the eggs, ensuring that the beans are fully cooked and tender before the eggs turn dark brown.
6. Please use tender green beans for this recipe. Remove the fibrous strands before cutting them into thin slices if you use older green beans. 
7. For a more westernized version, add cheddar cheese and diced bell pepper to the beaten egg.

📜 Other simple recipes to serve with the green bean omelet

• Honey mustard chicken
• Saute Cajun shrimp
• Salt and pepper tofu