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Zeytinyağlı taze fasulye
Aegean green beans braised slowly in olive oil and tomato, served cool
Along the Aegean coast, from İzmir down to Bodrum, summer lunch often begins with a plate of flat green beans that have been stewed in olive oil and tomato until they are silky, then left to cool to room temperature. It belongs to the zeytinyağlı family: vegetables cooked in olive oil, with no meat, and eaten cold or barely warm with bread to mop up the orange-red juices. Home cooks make a big pan in the morning and serve it over two or three days, because it tastes better after a night in the fridge. The most common mistake is rushing it on a high flame: the beans stay squeaky and the oil never turns glossy. Chef's tip: lay the beans on top of the onions and tomatoes without stirring, cover tightly and let the steam do the work; stirring breaks the beans and turns the sauce muddy.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Snap a bean in half: if a tough string pulls away along the edge, run a small knife down both sides of every bean to remove it. Cut them into 5 cm pieces, rinse and leave to drain.
Step 2: Warm ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil in a wide, heavy pan over a medium-low heat. Add 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves and cook gently, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent but not browned and smells sweet.
6 minStep 3: Stir in 2 ripe tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes over a medium heat, until the raw tomato smell fades and the mixture darkens slightly.
3 minStep 4: Spread 1 ⅛ lb flat green beans over the tomato base without stirring them in. Sprinkle over 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt, then pour ½ cup hot water down the side of the pan.
1 minStep 5: Cover tightly and cook over a low heat for 30–35 minutes, shaking the pan now and then instead of stirring. The beans are ready when they bend limply, have lost their bright green colour to an olive shade and taste sweet, and the liquid has reduced to a glossy, oily sauce.
35 minStep 6: Leave the beans to cool in the pan with the lid on; they keep absorbing the oil as they cool. Serve at room temperature with bread and 4 lemon wedges. They keep for 3 days in the fridge; take them out 30 minutes before serving.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zeytinyağlı taze fasulye take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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