Healthy Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia)
Greek Green Beans, or Fasolakia, is a classic Mediterranean dish that combines tender green beans with a rich tomato-based sauce, flavored with olive oil, onions, and garlic. This recipe is simple and focuses on the beans, making it a perfect side dish.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 976kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 onion chopped fine
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- pinch of cayenne
- 1 ½ cups water or chicken broth/vegetable broth
- 1 ½ pounds green beans trimmed and cut into 2-3 inch lengths
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
- pinch of sugar
- lemon juice to taste
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 275℉.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cayenne. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the water and green beans. Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes with their juices, salt, and pepper.
- Cover the pot and transfer to the oven.
- Cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and the green beans can be easily cut with a fork. About 40-50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and stir in the parsley. Season with lemon juice to taste. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Don't skip the full amount of olive oil. It's what turns simple green beans into a rich, silky sauce, and cutting back leaves the dish tasting flat and watery.
Add the lemon juice at the very end, off the heat. Cooking it into the sauce mutes the bright flavor that makes this dish work.
For extra tang, stir in a spoonful of Greek tzatziki sauce just before serving instead of plain yogurt.
Make ahead: this tastes even better the next day, once the flavors have had time to meld.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce.
Freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 976kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 72g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 51g | Sodium: 3106mg | Potassium: 2587mg | Fiber: 25g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 5428IU | Vitamin C: 137mg | Calcium: 447mg | Iron: 12mg
