Name: Mediterranean Green Beans
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 2 cups of green beans (cut into 1-inch pieces.); 1 cup of tomato (grated or diced); 1 tbsp. tomato paste; 1 medium onion (grated or diced); 2 cloves of garlic (finely diced); 1/2 cup water; 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 tsp. sugar; 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste; 1/4 tsp. black pepper or to taste; Garnish. Some drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and dry parsley flakes.

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These healthy vegan Mediterranean green beans and tomatoes are tender and full of flavor. This simple and easy-to-make side dish recipe is made with a few basic ingredients.

Mediterranean green beans served in a bowl on the table.

I love green beans recipe of all kinds from crunchy roasted green beans recipe to braised tender ones. And if you love simple delicious green bean recipes, then you will enjoy this best Greek-style/Turkish-style green bean recipe in tomato sauce. This braised green bean recipe is called taze fasulye in Turkey and Fasolakia giaxni in Greece and is my family’s favorite way to eat green beans.

This green beans recipe cooked in olive oil and tomato sauce is extremely delicious and is a great source of vitamins and minerals. This side dish is vegan, paleo, whole30, gluten-free, and dairy free.

What are they?

It is a vegan side dish made of green beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and olive oil. It is cooked slowly to a perfectly soft and tender texture. It is a well-known dish in the Mediterranean and is consumed in every household, especially during the spring/summer seasons with an abundance of fresh green beans available. You are going to love it too!

Ingredients

Green beans. Trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces. Any fresh or frozen green beans work.
Tomato. It complements the green beans perfectly. Use any grated or diced fresh tomatoes. Canned tomatoes work too.
Tomato paste. Add extra tomato flavor and color to the dish.
Onion and garlic. Adds a lot of flavor to the dish.
Water. Slow-cook the green beans in it. You can use broth or stock of your choice instead.
Oil. Extra virgin olive oil works the best.
Sugar. Just a little to balance out the acidity.
Seasonings. Sat and black pepper to taste.
Garnish. Some drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and dry parsley flakes.

How to make Mediterranean green beans

Follow along with my easy instructions to see how to make Mediterranean green beans at home.

Step 1. Saute onion and garlic. Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to it and saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.

Step 2. Saute tomato paste. Sauting tomato paste for about 1 minute adds more color to the dish.

Step3. Add veggies and season. Add the green beans and tomato. Then season them with sugar, salt, and black pepper.

Grated tomato and green beans added. Seasoned with salt, sugar, and black pepper.

Step 4. Add the water. Add water enough to cover the green beans. Then, bring it to a boil.

Step 5. Simmer. Cover the pot and let it simmer on low heat for one hour or until the green beans are soft and tender. At the end of the cooking time, if you have excess liquid, increase the heat and let it evaporate until thickens. Meanwhile, taste and adjust for seasonings.

Step 6. Let it rest and serve. Let it rest. Garnish it with extra virgin olive oil and parsley and serve it at room temperature. Enjoy!

Tips

Adjust the cooking time. The original recipe is cooked with runner green beans, but you may use any green beans you have on hand. Make sure to adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of your green beans. When it is tender, it is done cooking!
Make ahead. This dish stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Make it in summer too. This is a great summer side dish recipe when an abundance of fresh green beans and tomatoes is available. So take advantage and make the best-tasting Mediterranean Turkish green beans side dish with fresh ingredients.
Simmer on low heat. We do not use whole a lot of water in the recipe, just enough to cover the green beans, so make sure to use low heat while simmering the dish.

Substitutions and variations

Make it into stew. Add sauteed meatballs, chicken, or sausages, and let them simmer with green beans. Or you may add chunks of potatoes to cook a log of green beans and serve it as a vegetarian main dish.
Use other garnish. Garnish it with yogurt.
Make it spicy. Use more hot spices like cayenne pepper, chili powder, or red pepper flakes.
Use more tomatoes. You can adjust the recipe and use an equal amount of green beans and tomatoes.
Add spices and herbs. Ant other spices and herbs you like the best; e.g. cumin, thyme, or basil.
Substitute green beans. Use asparagus, zucchini, or mushrooms instead.

Equipment

Large saucepan
Grater. I love this grater from Amazon. It is sharp and perfect for chunky grating.

Storage and reheat

Store yesil fasulye in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve it at room temperature. You can store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the fridge a night before serving it.

What to serve with Mediterranean green beans

Serve it on its own as a light dish. Or serve it as a side dish, appetizer/meze with the following:

Grains. Rice, pita, bread, or couscous.
Salads.
Proteins. red meat, chicken, fish, or eggs.

I hope you get to love this healthy delicious stewed green beans recipe. It is so easy and tasty that you will make it over and over again.

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how you did it. I love to hear from you!

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