Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye is a Turkish summer dish made with fresh green beans, tomatoes and onion, all cooked in olive oil. We serve it at room temperature as a side dish, a meze or a light lunch with Turkish Rice.
This recipe needs only a handful of simple ingredients and one pot, and it's naturally vegan and gluten free. I think it tastes even better the next day, so it's a great dish to make ahead.
Jump to:
- What Is Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye?
- Why This Recipe Works?
- How to Prepare Green Beans for Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye
- Ingredients You'll Need
- How to Make Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye
- How Long to Cook Green Beans
- Recipe Tips From the Chef
- What to Serve with Green Beans
- Storage and Make Ahead
- Recipe FAQs
- Related Recipes
- Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye
What Is Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye?
This is one of the Turkish zeytinyağlı dishes, which are vegetables cooked in olive oil and served cold. Green beans are one of the most popular ones.
I make a few others the same way, like my Zeytinyağlı Pırasa Yemeği (Turkish Braised Leeks), Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği - Braised Celeriac and Stuffed Artichokes. If you cook the green beans with meat instead, you get a different dish, my Etli Taze Fasulye - Green Bean Stew with Meat.
These aren't the crisp, quick-fried green beans you might be used to. We cook them slowly until they're completely soft, and the tomatoes cook down into a light sauce with the onions and olive oil.
It's a simple dish, and it tastes best in summer when you can get fresh beans and ripe tomatoes.
Why This Recipe Works?
- Turkish Zeytinyağlı Taze Fasulye is a Turkish favorite, and we make it all through the green bean season.
- You can make it a day ahead, since we serve it warm or at room temperature anyway.
- It works as a side dish, a meze or a light main meal, depending on what you serve it with.
- The recipe is naturally vegan, gluten free, and refreshing enough for hot days.
- I use runner beans, but any fresh green beans work, including Romano and fine French beans.
- It keeps well in the fridge and freezer, so you can cook a big batch.
How to Prepare Green Beans for Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye
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 and pull off any tough strings along the sides. Then split the beans in half lengthways and 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 - Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye 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 color and flavor. You can use canned 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 flavor.
- 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 color, richness, and a deeper tomato flavor.
How to Make Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye
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.
Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye is best when the beans have softened, and the tomato sauce has reduced slightly.
Prepare the beans by snapping off the stem ends, pulling off any strings and cutting them in halves. Wash them and let them drain as you prepare 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, then add the grated tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes. 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 ripe tomatoes.
Bring the pan to a boil, then lower the heat, put the lid on and gently simmer for an hour or until the beans are soft. Take it off the heat and leave it to cool in the pan for 15 to 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. 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 these Turkish green beans.
- Runner beans are traditional, but French beans, Romano beans, or fine green beans work just as well.
- Pull off any strings along the sides of the beans when you trim them.
- 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 canned tomatoes.
- Cook the onions gently in olive oil until soft, but don’t let them brown too much.
- Keep the lid on and simmer the beans gently until tender. Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye 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 it cool in the pan for at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Serve it warm or at room temperature for the best flavor.
What to Serve with Green Beans
The most common way to serve Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye is warm or at room temperature, with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. It makes a light lunch with bread and a simple salad.
To make it a main meal, serve it with Tomato and Rice, Bulgur Rice Pilaf or Mujadara, and a bowl of Cacik. Add a salad such as Lebanese Tabbouleh (Tabouli Salad), Indian Chickpea Salad (Chana Salad) or Gavurdagi Salad.
As a side dish, this green beans recipe works well with Mince Beef Pie, Baked Cod with Panko, Et Sote, Perde Pilavi, or Braised Beef Cheeks.
On a meze table, serve it with Çerkez Tavuğu - Circassian Chicken, Arnavut Cigeri - Turkish Liver, Paçanga Böreği and Icli Kofte (Turkish Kibbeh).
Storage and Make Ahead
These Turkish green beans keep very well, so you can make them ahead. 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
Green beans are taze fasulye in Turkish, which means fresh beans. Yeşil fasulye, which means green beans, is another name you'll hear. Zeytinyağlı means with olive oil, so this dish is green beans cooked in olive oil. You say it tah-zeh fah-sool-yeh.
Fresh green beans give the best texture, but you can use frozen green beans if that is what you have. Add them straight to the pan from frozen or thaw them first and drain any excess water.
Frozen green beans may cook faster than fresh ones and can become softer, so keep an eye on them as they simmer. The flavor will still be good, especially with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and olive oil.
Green beans can stay tough if they are older, thicker, stringy, or not cooked long enough. This recipe needs gentle simmering until the beans are soft and tender.
If the pan becomes dry before the beans are cooked, add a small splash of water or vegetable stock and continue cooking. The final texture should be soft rather than crunchy.
Related Recipes
For more vegetarian Turkish recipes, try these:
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I hope you enjoy the process of making this Mediterranean Green Beans - Zeytinyagli Taze Faulye as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional, skip if you have red juicy summer tomatoes)
- 1 lb tomatoes, grated (450 g)
- 1 lb green beans (450 g)
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup vegetable stock or water (60 ml, optional, skip if you have juicy ripe tomatoes)
Instructions
- Snap off the stem ends of the beans and pull off any strings along the sides. Cut them in halves if using fine French beans.
- If you use a wider variety such as Romano beans or Pantheon beans, split them in half lengthways after snapping the stems off, then cut them into 2 or 3 pieces.
- Place a Dutch oven or heavy-based pan on low heat, add olive oil and gently cook the onions along with the garlic until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste (optional) and cook for a minute, then add the grated tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes.
- Turn the heat up to medium, then add the beans, salt, sugar, freshly ground black pepper, and vegetable stock or water (if using).
- Bring the pan to a boil, lower the heat, put the lid on and gently simmer for an hour or until the beans are soft.
- Take it off the heat and leave it to cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use fresh, young green beans. Runner beans are traditional, but French beans, Romano beans or fine green beans work just as well.
- Pull off any strings along the sides of the beans before you cut them.
- Use ripe, juicy summer tomatoes if possible. Skip the tomato paste if your tomatoes are very red and juicy, and add a little sugar if they are sharp or if you are using canned tomatoes.
- Cook the onions gently in olive oil until soft, but don’t let them brown too much.
- Keep the lid on and simmer the beans gently until they are soft. The cooking time depends on the type and freshness of your beans.
- Add a small splash of water or vegetable stock only if the tomatoes are not juicy enough.
- Let it cool in the pan for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Serve it warm or at room temperature, with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
- You can use frozen green beans. They cook faster and turn softer, so keep an eye on them.
- This recipe is naturally vegan and gluten free.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Serve cold, warm or at room temperature.
Valerie says
The dish was amazingly good. My husband absolutely loved it. And this is just as good if not better the next day. I can't wait to make this with fresh green beans from the garden!
Ayla Clulee says
That’s wonderful Valerie! So happy to hear. Enjoy!
Laila says
I’m making this for the second time. Damn was that good!! May repeat that today!!
Chloe says
This was insanely good. We all went for seconds.
Tom says
This recipe was easy and came out beautiful. Didn't change a thing. Delicious and affordable.
Justin says
Delicious and easy recipe. There’s so much flavour. Beans never tasted so good!
Ali says
Amazing recipe for fresh green beans! It was super easy and yummy.
Ayla Clulee says
That’s amazing! So glad you made it and enjoyed it!
Ayla says
DELICIOUS! I served it over couscous and with a pita. Yum! Thanks so much!