Green Beans Recipe

My easy Green Beans Recipe is made with fresh green beans, ripe tomatoes, onions, garlic, and good-quality olive oil. It is simple, healthy, naturally vegan, and perfect as a light main meal, side dish, or part of a Mediterranean-style spread. This Turkish-style green bean dish, also known as Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye, is cooked slowly until the beans are tender and full of flavour, and it tastes even better when made ahead.

Jump to:

• What Is Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye?
• Why This Recipe Works?
• How to Prepare Green Beans for Zeytinyagli Faulye?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How To Make Green Beans Recipe
• How Long To Cook Green Beans
• Recipe Tips From the Chef
• What To Serve With Green Beans
• Storage Instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Green Beans Recipe

This is not a quick-boiled or sautéed green beans recipe. The beans are gently cooked with tomatoes and olive oil until soft, rich, and delicious. It is the perfect summer dish when tomatoes are sweet and juicy, but it also works well all year round with a little tomato paste. You only need a few basic ingredients, and the whole dish keeps beautifully in the fridge for several days.

In Turkey, Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye is usually served warm or at room temperature as a side dish, light lunch, or meze. I like serving it with Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav), Mujadara - Lebanese Lentils and Rice, or Bulgur Pilavi (Turkish Bulgur Rice Pilaf) when I want to turn it into a more filling meal.

What Is Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye?

Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye is a traditional Turkish recipe made with fresh green beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and olive oil. The word “zeytinyağlı” means cooked with olive oil, and “taze fasulye” means fresh green beans. It is one of the most popular summer dishes in Turkish homes and is usually served warm or at room temperature.

Unlike crisp sautéed green beans, this dish is cooked slowly until the beans are soft and tender. The tomatoes break down into a light sauce, the onions add sweetness, and the olive oil gives the dish its smooth Mediterranean flavour. It is simple, but when made with fresh beans and ripe tomatoes, it tastes absolutely delicious.

This recipe is naturally vegan and works well as a side dish, meze, or light main meal. It is also perfect for making ahead because the flavour improves as it rests.

Why This Recipe Works?

• You can make these vegetarian Turkish-style braised runner beans a couple of days ahead.

• It is made with simple ingredients such as green beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and olive oil.

• The same as Zeytinyagli Pirasa Yemegi (Turkish Braised Leeks), Zeytinyagli Enginar Dolmasi-Stuffed Artichokes, and Zeytinyagli Kereviz Yemegi - Braised Celeriac, Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days.

• It works as a side dish, meze, or light main meal, depending on what you serve it with.

• It is a healthy green bean recipe with only 148 calories per portion.

• You can use different types of green beans, including runner beans, fine green beans, Romano beans, or French beans.

How to Prepare Green Beans for Zeytinyagli Faulye?

Green beans are easy to prepare and only need a few minutes of trimming before cooking. For fine green beans or French beans, simply snap off the stem ends and cut them in half. You can also use a small knife if you prefer a neater finish.

If you are using wider beans such as runner beans, Romano beans, or Pantheon beans, trim the stem ends first, then split the beans in half lengthways. After that, cut them into 2 or 3 pieces, depending on their size. This helps them cook evenly and makes them easier to eat.

Fresh young beans work best for this recipe because they become tender without turning stringy. If your beans are older or thicker, they may need a little longer to cook. The final texture should be soft and tender, not crunchy, as this is how Mediterranean-style green beans are traditionally served.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Green beans - This dish is traditionally made with runner beans, but you can use French beans, fine green beans, Romano beans, or any fresh green beans you have. Younger beans cook faster and give the best texture.

• Tomatoes - Ripe summer tomatoes are best because they are sweet and juicy. If your tomatoes are not very ripe, use tomato paste for extra colour and flavour. You can also use tinned tomatoes when fresh tomatoes are not in season.

• Olive oil - Olive oil is one of the main ingredients in this recipe, so use one that tastes good. It gives the dish its classic Mediterranean flavour.

• Garlic - It gives a great flavor to this simple bean dish. Finely chop or grate using a Microplane zester before adding it to the dish.

• Tomato paste - Tomato paste is optional, but it is useful if your tomatoes are not very red or juicy. It adds colour, richness, and a deeper tomato flavour.

How To Make Green Beans Recipe

This fresh green beans recipe is very easy to make, but it does need gentle cooking. The onions and garlic are cooked slowly in olive oil, then the tomatoes and beans are added and simmered until tender. The dish is best when the beans have softened, and the tomato sauce has reduced slightly.

Prepare the beans by snapping off the stem ends and cutting them in halves. Wash them, and let them drain while preparing the flavor base.

Place a Dutch oven or heavy-based pan on low heat, add olive oil, and gently cook the onions with garlic until translucent. This should take about 10 minutes.

Add the tomato paste if using and cook for a minute before adding the tomatoes. If you have juicy red tomatoes, don't add any tomato paste.

Turn the heat up to medium then add the beans, salt, sugar, freshly ground black pepper, and vegetable stock or water (if using). You won't need to add water if you are using juicy ripen tomatoes.

Bring the pan to a boil, lower the heat, and gently simmer for an hour or until the beans are soft. Leave it to cool down for 15-20 minutes before serving.

How Long To Cook Green Beans

For this Mediterranean-style green beans recipe, the beans usually need around 1 hour of gentle simmering. This is longer than quick sautéed green beans because the aim is a soft, tender texture rather than a crisp bite.

The cooking time will depend on the type of beans you use. Fine green beans may soften more quickly, while runner beans, Romano beans, or older beans can take longer. If the pan looks too dry before the beans are cooked, add a small splash of water or vegetable stock.

The green beans are ready when they are tender all the way through, and the tomato sauce has thickened slightly. They should not be crunchy for this recipe.

Recipe Tips From the Chef

• Use fresh, young runner beans for this delicious green bean dish.

• Runner beans are traditional, but French beans, Romano beans, or fine green beans also work well.

• Use ripe, juicy summer tomatoes if possible. They give the sauce the best natural sweetness. Skip the tomato paste if your tomatoes are very red and juicy.

• Add a little sugar if your tomatoes are sharp or if you are using tinned tomatoes.

• Cook the onions gently in olive oil until soft, but don’t let them brown too much.

• Simmer the beans gently until tender. This dish should be soft rather than crunchy.

• The cooking time might vary depending on the type and freshness of the beans you use in your Taze Fasulye recipe.

• Add a small splash of water or vegetable stock only if the tomatoes are not juicy enough.

• Let the dish rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature for the best flavour.

What To Serve With Green Beans

The most common way to serve Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye is warm or at room temperature. It is delicious as a light lunch with bread, rice, or a simple salad, and it is also perfect as part of a meze spread.

To serve it as a main meal, pair it with Tomato Rice Pilaf - Domatesli Pilav, and a bowl of salad such as Taboule (Lebanese Tabouli Salad), Indian Chickpea Salad (Chana Salad), or Tomato and Walnut Salad (Gavurdagi Salatasi).

As a side dish, this green beans recipe works well with Instant Pot Flank Steak, Mince Beef Pie, Baked Cod with Panko, Et Sote, Perde Pilavi, or Braised Beef Cheeks.

You can also serve it as part of a meze table with Cerkez Tavugu (Circassian Chicken), Arnavut Cigeri - Turkish Liver, Pacanga Boregi, and Icli Kofte (Turkish Kibbeh) as a part of a meze spread.

Storage Instructions

This Mediterranean-style fresh green beans recipe is perfect for making ahead because it keeps very well and tastes even better after resting. Let the dish cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

You can serve it cold, warm, or at room temperature. If you prefer it warm, reheat it gently on the stove over low heat or in the microwave until heated through. Avoid boiling it hard when reheating, as the beans are already tender.

You can also freeze Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely first, then place it in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating or bringing it to room temperature.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more delicious vegetarian Turkish recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this Mediterranean Green Beans Recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂