Mediterranean Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes
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In this version of a dish served across Turkey and the Mediterranean, fresh green beans are slowly braised with tomatoes, onions, garlic and a generous amount of olive oil resulting in the most beautiful, buttery tender side dish! Serve with plenty of fresh pita bread to soak up the delicious juices!
“This turned out really great!!”
Why This Recipe is Keeper:
While thin late spring and early summer green beans often only require a quick saute or steaming, slow-braising is ideal for mature, late summer green beans like what you may be picking now. And, if you also have a bounty of backyard tomatoes, Mediterranean Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes is a delicious way to enjoy them together!
This dish most closely resembles one that is served across Turkey called taze fasulye, but variations exist across the Mediterranean region like these Greek Green Beans. It’s served as a side dish or as part of a meze, which is an appetizer platter, so it’s also very versatile.
Another reason this dish is so lovely is that it can be enjoyed at room temperature besides being flavorful and will taste as good four days later as the day you made it!
How to Make Mediterranean Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this green bean recipe. See the green bean recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Tomatoes: This recipe is the perfect way to use red, ripe, juicy summer tomatoes. In the off-season, my go-to tomatoes at the grocery store are Romas or Campari. If you want to use canned tomatoes, use a good quality canned tomato such as San Marzano for the freshest tomato flavor.
- Green Beans: I used regular “string” beans, but Romano beans or Italian pole beans, which are wider and a have a less delicate texture than regular green “string” beans would be ideal in this recipe because braising will tenderize them.
- Olive Oil: I like to use extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Sugar: Sugar is traditionally added to the Turkish version of Mediterranean Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes. I was a little concerned after tasting them with sugar, but squeezing some lemon juice over the beans provided a beautiful balance.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Start by peeling the tomatoes. Prepare an ice bath then bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cut an “X” in the bottom of each tomato then carefully drop it into the boiling water. Give it about 20-30 seconds or until you can see the skin begin to peel away from the tomato. Immerse into the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
- Then, peel and chop!
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan and cook the onions and garlic until the onions soften up.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they begin melting into a sauce.
- Add the green beans, water and red pepper flakes.
- Cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook until the beans are lovely and tender.
- The beans will turn an olive color but that’s okay and there is no way to avoid it. Don’t worry! They will taste amazing!
- Add the sugar and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Toss on some coarsely chopped parsley and don’t forget those lemon wedges! A squeeze of lemon will make this dish pop!
- That’s it! Mediterranean Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes! Who knew braised green beans could be SO delicious!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- Over my years as a personal chef, I’ve tried numerous ways to speed up the process of trimming the stem ends from beans. Unfortunately, there is no quick and easy way. However, it’s only the stem end that needs to be removed; the bottom tip is tender and perfectly fine to eat. Here’s all the ways you can do it:
- Do them one by one and just enjoy the zen of it.
- Line several up on a cutting board and cut the ends with a knife. I find it time-consuming to line up the beans, then grab the knife and cut but it works.
- Grab two or three at a time in one hand and break the stem end off with the other hand.
- Grab two or three where you see stems together and snip them with kitchen shears.
recipe faqs:
You’ll have a better end product here. You can leave the skins on because they’re completely edible but they won’t break down and you’ll have tiny bits of skin in the dish.
Yes, you absolutely can. I would recommend rinsing them under cool running water to get any frost off as that can sometimes cause an off-taste.
Yes! See my note above in the Ingredient Notes. Use a good-quality Italian tomato for the best flavor.
Serve on the side with:
- Easy Skillet Mediterranean Chicken
- Mediterranean Fish en Papillote
- Prosciutto-Wrapped Halibut with Herb – Caper Butter
- Seared Lamb Chops with Anchovy Butter
- Greek Vegetable Casserole
More green bean recipes you’ll love!
- Thai Green Beans
- Roasted Green Beans with Tomato Caper Relish
- Skillet Charred Green Beans with Goat Cheese Chipotle Butter
- Greek Green Beans
Get all my great vegetable side dishes at Vegetable Side Dish Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen
Mediterranean Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling if desired
- 1 large onion, quartered and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Prepare an ice bath. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cut a small "X" in the bottom of the skin of each tomato with a sharp paring knife.
- Blanch the tomatoes by immersing them in the boiling water for 20-30 seconds or until you can see the skin begin to curl and peel away.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to the ice bath to stop the tomatoes from cooking. Drain, peel, seed as best you can and chop. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or saute pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin softening up, approximately 5-6 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to break down, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Add the green beans, water and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar. Simmer, stirring occasionally until the beans are very tender, approximately 45 minutes.
- Season with salt and black pepper. Add sugar.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- A squeeze of lemon juice provides a lovely flavor balance.
- Can be made 4 days ahead and refrigerated, covered.
- Gently reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat to serve hot or let come to room temperature and serve.
- Can also be reheated in the microwave.
- Cool thoroughly. Place in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
- With any frozen vegetable, water seems to come out of nowhere, so heating directly from frozen will yield a better result.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This turned out really great!! I forgot to add a splash of lemon, but will use it the next time. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Hi, Pamela, Thanks so much, and happy to hear that! I appreciate you taking the time to come back, comment, and rate.
I have some steamed fresh garden green beans in the refrigerator. Could I use them in the recipe with a few modifications? Such as, the amount of water and length of time to braise once they are added to the tomatoes?
Hi, Pamela, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, absolutely! Since the beans are already started, start with a half cup of water, as you can always add more if it looks like it is needed. You want the beans a little “saucy,” but not swimming in liquid. Thanks again and let me know how it goes!
Always looking for ways to make veggies interesting. Made these with a side of rice and chicken meatballs stuffed with sundried tomatoes and feta.
Hi, Hollie, Thanks so much and that menu sounds divine! So glad you enjoyed!!