Greek Green Beans in Tomato Sauce
The moment the first fresh green beans appear at the farmers’ markets, you know summer has arrived. I can never resist Aisha, my favorite variety, known for its tender, naturally sweet pods. Served with plenty of feta cheese, a little tzatziki and some crusty bread, this is one of those simple, traditional Greek dishes you’ll never get tired of.
🛒 Ingredients
- 🥬 1 kg (2.2 lb) fresh or frozen green beans
- 🫒 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 🧅 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 🍅 2 ripe tomatoes, grated or 1 cup tomato sauce
- 🌿 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 🧂 Salt and pepper
Optional
- 🧄 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or 1 tsp garlic paste
- 🥔 1-2 potatoes cut into large chunks
- 🥕 1 carrot, cut into small pieces
👩🍳Preparation
Wash and trim the green beans, removing any tough strings if needed. Finely chop the onion and parsley, and grate the tomatoes.
Place the green beans in a large pot or pressure cooker. Add the onion, parsley and, if using, the garlic.
Pour in the grated tomatoes or tomato sauce, the olive oil, salt and pepper. If desired, add the potato chunks and the chopped carrot.
Stir gently, reduce the heat and let the vegetables soften for a few minutes. Add about 2 cups of water if cooking in a pot, or 1/2 cup if using a pressure cooker.
Cook until the green beans are tender and the tomato sauce has thickened. This takes about 15 minutes in a pressure cooker (after it reaches pressure) or about 1 hour in a regular pot.
From My Experience…
🔸 If you can find them, choose Aisha green beans. They are especially tender, naturally sweet and perfect for this traditional dish.
🔸There’s no need to sauté the onion. Everything goes into the pot raw and cooks slowly together, creating the authentic homemade flavor.
🔸The potatoes are optional, but they absorb all the delicious tomato and olive oil sauce and are always everyone’s favorite.
🔸 The carrot is also optional, but it adds a pleasant natural sweetness to the dish.
🔸 If you use homemade tomato sauce, the dish will be even richer in flavor and aroma.
Enjoy!
Nanà…
