When cooler weather hits, I swap out fresh summer salads for warm, flavorful vegetable side dishes. This sautéed green beans and mushrooms recipe is one of my favorites for fall and winter, but it’s delicious year-round. Crisp-tender green beans and savory mushrooms are tossed in a sweet and slightly spicy Asian-inspired plum sauce that’s made from dried prunes, so you can enjoy it any season, even when fresh plums aren’t available.
Love green beans? Try my sautéed green beans with caponata sauce and skillet-seared green beans, too.
In addition to being delicious, this preparation for green beans and mushrooms is nutrient-rich, making it perfect for a plant-based diet. It provides nutrients often found in meat and dairy dishes, including calcium and vitamin K from the green beans—both essential for bone health. Consuming these regularly can help strengthen bones and reduce the risk of fractures. The prunes in the plum sauce are also an excellent source of plant-based iron, adding even more nutritional value to this easy vegetable side dish.
Quick to prepare, full of flavor, and beautiful on the table, this green bean and mushroom recipe is ideal for weeknight dinners or special occasions. It also makes a fantastic holiday side dish, serving as a lighter, more vibrant alternative to the traditional green bean casserole.
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Dried Plums and Dates – These create the base of the sauce, providing a sweet flavor along with lots of nutrients.
- Green Beans – Use fresh green beans that have been trimmed. I don’t recommend canned or frozen green beans for this recipe as they’re likely to become mushy.
- Mushrooms – You can use any mushrooms you have on hand, but I prefer white button mushrooms. Mild in flavor, they pair with the sauce nicely. Shiitake mushrooms and oyster mushrooms also work well.
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce – This adds a salty, savory, umami taste to the sauce. For a gluten-free option, use tamari instead.
- Seasonings – Chinese 5-spice and cayenne pepper give the dish a warm, sweet, slightly spicy kick with Asian-inspired flavors.
- Oil – Avocado oil or another high-smoke-point oil works well for sautéing the vegetables without burning. Butter will also work if dairy isn’t a concern, though it has a lower smoke point, so you’ll need to cook the green beans at a lower temperature. Ghee has a higher smoke point while retaining a buttery flavor.
Health Benefits of Mushrooms
Mushrooms are packed with powerful health benefits. They contain ergothioneine, an amino acid antioxidant that helps prevent cellular damage and may reduce cancer risk by up to 45% when eaten regularly—just two medium mushrooms (about 18 grams) a day. Mushrooms also help lower cholesterol, support brain and gut health, boost the immune system, and enhance savory flavor without extra sodium.
They’re also the only fruit or vegetable that can provide a good source of vitamin D. Varieties like white button, cremini, and portobello are the most beneficial. For an extra boost, slice and expose them to sunlight for at least 15 minutes before cooking to “soak in” the recommended daily amount.
While this green beans and mushrooms with plum sauce recipe has an Asian-inspired flavor, the ingredients also fit beautifully into a Mediterranean diet. Ready in 15 minutes, it’s quick, making it easy to get more nutrients into your day.
How to Make Green Beans and Mushrooms
- Soak the fruit. Submerge the plums and dates in hot water in a bowl or large pot, and let them soak and soften.
- Create the plum sauce. Transfer the soaked fruit, along with the water, to a blender or food processor along with the soy sauce and spices. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Sauté. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat, and sear the mushrooms without moving them. Then, stir, and continue to cook until golden brown. Add the green beans, and cover the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the mushrooms are bright green and crisp-tender.
- Serve. Stir in the blended plum sauce, and cook until hot and bubbly. Season to taste, and enjoy warm!
Green Beans and Mushrooms with Plum Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 dried plums (prunes) pitted
- 2 dates pitted
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 lb fresh green beans trimmed
- 8 oz white button mushrooms sliced
- 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce (for gluten free use a certified gluten free tamari sauce)
- 1/8 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice blend
- Pinch cayenne pepper or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or oil with a high smoke point for frying)
Instructions
- Cover the dried plums and dates with hot water and let them soak for 5-10 minutes. You can use this time to clean and trim/slice the green beans and mushrooms.
- Pour dried plums and dates with soaking water into a blender or food processor along with the soy sauce, Chinese 5 spice and cayenne pepper. Blend together ingredients, pausing to scrape the sides periodically, until a thick brown sauce forms. Scoop the sauce into a small bowl and reserve.
- Heat the grapeseed oil over high heat in a large skillet until hot. Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet in a single layer and let them sear without stirring for 3 minutes. Continue to stir for another 1-2 minutes until mushrooms are golden brown. Stir in the green beans and cover the skillet with a lid. Reduce heat to medium and let the green beans cook with the mushrooms for 5-7 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until the green beans are bright green and have reached desired tenderness. I prefer them to be crisp-tender.
- Uncover the skillet and stir in the blended spiced plum date sauce, coating all of the vegetables evenly with sauce. Let the vegetables and sauce cook together for another minute or so until hot and bubbly. Taste and add salt, pepper or cayenne for extra spice to taste if desired. Remove from stovetop and serve immediately.
NOTES
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
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FAQs
Serve this dish as a lightened-up side with Thanksgiving and Christmas main courses like classic roast turkey or Farah’s roast chicken. Or, enjoy it as part of a weeknight dinner with protein-rich options such as seared salmon, weeknight roast chicken, or Moroccan paprika fish.
Add more seasonings like salt, black pepper, or more Chinese 5-spice. Or, include sautéed shallots, garlic, or onions to add a sweet, savory, pungent flavor to the veggies.
Yes, once cool, you can transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until warm, adding a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.
This looks & sounds delicious. I was just getting ready to do a trial run on making it & then I came across this sentence in the directions “Uncover the skillet & stir in the blended spiced plum date sauce” I panicked & went back over the ingredients, there are no dates listed, what type of dates do I need or am I losing it? lol
I’m still giving this dish 5 stars because as many years as I’ve cooked I know this dish is superb, my taste buds go wild each time my eyes land on that photograph. I hope you can let me know the type of dates before Thanksgiving, our granddaughter & her beau are cooking & invited us to come. I would love to take this dish with us.
Hi Margo! Dates are the second ingredient listed, are you not seeing that on your end? It’s 6 prunes and 2 dates. They’re also talked about in the instructions… let me know if you need more direction!
Delicious, easy recipe to make it is a keeper
Can this be made ahead of time as I will be having some people over for lunch and I don’t want to be cooking then
Yes no problem!
This was really good! I like how simple it was to make.
I need to clean out so much stuff and declutter! But I procrastinate because it’s all so overwhelming!
Thank you! You’ve inspired me now to do it!
Cleaned out, thrown out, given away.
I’m cleaning like a mad woman – every Jan. I do this.
I love the plate.
yes please, makes my mouth water looking at it 😉
Cleaning before Pesach.
When you are done with your house, you can come do mine.m bring a dump truck while you’re at it!
Yes! I love to deep clean in January!