Lifestyle

Pork and green bean stir-fry with peanut sauce and rice noodles

This delicious pork and bean stir-fry comes together in under half an hour, making it a quick, healthy option for those busy weeknights.

This dish draws on Southeast Asia’s love of peanut sauce, pairing a quick pork stir-fry with rice noodles and avocado. It’s quick and easy to make. The stir-fry takes about 10 minutes, the noodles just need a soak in hot water, and the sauce can be made in a blender. It’s also an easy dish to adapt. Swap the pork for chicken, beef, or firm tofu if you’d rather skip the meat, and the rest of the recipe stays exactly the same. If you like more heat, add an extra chilli to the sauce or scatter some chilli flakes over the top just before serving.

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes | Servings: 2

Ingredients

For the stir-fry:

  • 15 ml vegetable oil
  • 300 g pork mince
  • 1 small red onion, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 15 g fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 red chilli, sliced
  • 150 g green beans, trimmed and halved
  • 1 carrot, julienned
  • 100 g kale or spinach, roughly chopped
  • 15 ml soy sauce
  • 10 ml fish sauce
  • 5 ml brown sugar

For the peanut sauce:

  • 60 ml smooth peanut butter
  • 30 ml soy sauce
  • 15 ml fresh lime juice
  • 10 ml brown sugar
  • 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
  • 60 to 80 ml warm water, to thin

To serve:

  • 150 g rice vermicelli noodles
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 2 lime wedges

Method

  1. Soak the rice vermicelli noodles in a bowl of hot water for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened, then drain and set aside.
  2. While the noodles soak, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and chopped chilli in a small bowl. Add warm water a little at a time, stirring until you have a smooth, pourable sauce.
  3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over high heat.
  4. Add the pork mince and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and cooked through.
  5. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chilli, and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
  6. Add the green beans and carrot, and stir-fry for a further 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender but still with some bite.
  7. Stir in the kale or spinach, soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar, and cook for another minute, until the greens have wilted.
  8. Divide the noodles between two plates, and top with the pork stir-fry.
  9. Arrange the sliced avocado alongside, and drizzle the peanut sauce generously over the whole plate.
  10. Serve immediately with a lime wedge on the side.

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I'm an experienced writer, sub-editor, and media & public relations specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the media industry – across digital, print, TV, and radio. I earned a diploma in Journalism and Print Media from leading institution, Damelin College, with distinctions (Journalism And Print Media, Media Studies, Technical English And Communications, South African Studies, African & International Studies, Technology in Journalism, Journalism II & Practical Journalism). I also hold a qualification in Investigative Journalism from Print Media SA, First Aid Training from St John’s Ambulance, as well as certificates in Learning to Write Marketing Copy, Planning a Career in User Experience, and Writing a Compelling Blog Post.

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