This recipe is inspired by a recent trip to Vietnam – it’s an attempt to combine the crunchiness of green beans and cucumbers with the spicy/sour/sweet of fish sauce.  Adapted from Serious Eats.

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small thai chili, seeds removed, minced finely
• 5 T brown sugar
• 4 T fish sauce
• 4 T lime juice
• 12 oz green beans, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 small cucumber, seeds removed, split lengthwise and cut into 1/4″ disks
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 c cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 c roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 c roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Bring a small pot of water to boil.
2. Combine garlic, chili, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and stir until combined
3. Blanch beans in boiling water for approximately 1 minute, drain, and wash with cold water to stop cooking
4. Combine green beans, cucumber, shallot, mint, peanuts, and dressing in a large bowl, and toss to combine