Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia)! Velvety, tender green beans and potatoes, braised in a tomato and extra virgin olive oil sauce. A simple, flavor-packed, and satisfying entree or side dish. Vegan. Gluten Free.
Fasolakia: Greek Green Beans
Egyptians call it Fasolia. Greeks call it Fasolakia. More accurately, Fasolakia Lathera, or braised green beans. Actually, the word Lathera means, “ones with oil,” and it describes a whole category of Greek dishes where vegetables are meant to literally swim in quality extra virgin olive oil. Nothing better, in my opinion. You can find similar olive oil-heavy dishes in other parts of the Mediterranean as well. For example, in Turkey, they have zeytinyağlı yemekler, which means “olive oil dishes”(like these braised leeks with garlic).
These Greek green beans are braised in tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil with onions, garlic and spices. Then, they are finished with lemon juice, fresh herbs, and more extra virgin olive oil.
So, unlike crunchy steamed or sauteed green beans, these Greek green beans are velvety, tender, but certainly not mushy.
There are as many variations of traditional Greek green beans as you can imagine. Every household has it’s twist–like my version of sautéed green beans, which were inspired by this recipe. Here, I used potatoes to give the beans more substance as a vegan entree.
What to serve with Greek Green Beans
All you really need is some good Greek pita bread or your favorite rustic bread to sop up the sauce. But, to serve these green beans simply as a side, you can add rice and your favorite protein like grilled chicken or lamb. I typically prepare a simple Greek salad or this 3-ingredient Mediterranean salad to start the meal.
More Recipes To Try
Easy Greek White Bean Soup (Fasolada)
Easy Greek Chicken and Potato Dinner
Greek Moussaka: Eggplant Casserole
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Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
All-star recipe for Greek Green Beans. Velvety, tender green beans & potatoes, braised in a tomato-olive oil sauce. Flavor-packed, satisfying, vegan, and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- Greek extra virgin olive oil (I used Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 28-oz can peeled whole tomato
- 1 cup water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 lb fresh French green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (frozen green beans work wonderfully in this recipe)
- 3 Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 lb), cut into small piece (1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces)
- Salt and black pepper
- lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- In a large Dutch Oven, heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, stirring occasionally (about 5 mins). Then add the garlic, cumin, and oregano. Cook another 2 mins, stirring regularly, until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, water, bay leaf, beans, and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a high simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cover and transfer to the heated oven. Cook until the sauce slightly thickens, and the beans and potatoes can easily be cut with side of your fork; about 35 minutes or so. (It’s a good idea to check once partway through cooking, add a little bit of water if needed.)
- Remove from oven and stir in 2 tbsp lemon juice and chopped fresh parsley. Stir in a generous drizzle of olive oil (at least another 1/4 cup).
- Serve immediately with Greek pita bread or your favorite rustic bread to sop up the sauce!
Notes
- These green beans are also great as a side dish atop Lebanese rice and next to your favorite protein, chicken kabobs, for example. See more suggestions in the post under “what to serve with Greek Green Beans.”
- Recommended for this recipe our Private Reserve or Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil, from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives. And organic ground cumin!
- SAVE! Try our Ultimate Mediterranean Spice Bundle or create your own 6-pack or 3-pack of our all-natural and organic spices.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Greek
I have made many of your recipes all of which were delicious. I made the Fasolakia at the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it, my husband too. I did add 1/2 tsp of red chilli flakes to spice it up and it was perfect. As there are only two of us I had quite a lot left, so this evening I put the leftovers in my Vitamix and made a delicious hearty soup. Thank you for a great recipe 😋
Ooo! Love that you turned the leftovers into a soup! What a great idea!
When I was a kid my mother made these green beans all the time and I loved it but when I left home I, unfortunately, did not learn the secret to making them. Now that I am 87 and found your recipe I will be able to enjoy them again. I can say the same about eggplant (made anyway) which I love. I will make this recipe once I get some fresh green beans. As an aside, my father was Palestinian and my mother Polish.
Wonderful, Larry! Thank for taking the time to comment and review. Much appreciated!
Great recipe but made it lower carb by taking out the potatoes and using courgette instead just as delicious but much less carb heavy …
Love that idea! Thanks for sharing, Kenrick!
I’ve made this before with fresh green beans (and it’s incredible!!), but I have lots of frozen I would love to use up. If using frozen, is there anything that needs to be changed? Do you let them thaw? Can you use them straight from frozen?
Hi, Jane. You can totally use frozen green beans here. No need to thaw them first :).
Hi Suzy,
I had a recipe years ago that I can’t find now. It was almost the same but it called for a small amount of cinnamon, maybe 1 teaspoon. That seemed to be the “secret ingredient” that was important for the flavor. What do you think of adding some?
Hi, Rose. In our research, we have come across some other fasolakia recipe which include cinnamon, so it may be worth a try. It’s just not something we’ve tested with this particular recipe, though.
See Persian green beans aka loobia sabz. Cinnamon is used in many of the recipes.
This was great! The only changes I made was I cooked a 1/2lb lamb steak and cut it into tiny pieces and added it back with the tomatoes.
I used beef broth instead of water and only cooked the entire dish for 35 minutes total on the stove with medium to low heat.
DELICIOUS!
This recipe looks great, but I don’t have a pot that can go in the oven so can I transfer it from the pot to a baking dish?
Absolutely, Sandi. That’ll work!
I cooked it entirely on the stovetop in a large skillet with lid. Worked perfectly. The only changes I made were to halve the green beans and the tomatoes. Everything else I left the same. I wasn’t sure it would all fit since the tomato mixture and diced potatoes filled the bottom of the skillet. I cooked that for about 5-10 minutes before adding the green beans to the skillet. They kind of sat on top and steamed, but after cooking for about ten minutes I was able to stir the entire mixture together without anything spilling out and it cooked down well.
Really tasty recipe. I meal prepped with this and instead of a main I made it a large side dish. I served this with lemon garlic chicken and Mahatma yellow rice. Even reducing the green beans to about a pound I probably got close 8-10 cups out of this, or about 8 servings.
This is a delicious stew. Made it with Tomatoes and green beans from our veggie garden. Did not have a Dutch Oven and used a Paella pan with lid. Worked great.
Served it over rice. Delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Jan!
Suzy does it again with this recipe. Just switched to plant based diet and this will be a dish I will make often. Outstanding!
Yay! Thanks, Sherry!
Loved this dish. Have made other versions but your spices are spot on!
Thank you so much, Christie!
This is sooooooo good! I had the leftovers as dinner over pasta.
Great idea!
Can you do this in a slow cooker?
Sure! I’d put slow-cooker on high for 4 hours and see from there or on low for 6 hours and add time if needed. Enjoy!
I love this recipe and have made it many times. I’m thinking of adding kielbasa madillions at the end of the process. I would fry them first. What do you think ?
Sounds delish!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! It’s one of my favorites. I’ve adapted it for the Instant Pot and it turns out great every time! It’s now my go-to potluck dish and it gets devoured!!!
Awesome! Would love to hear your tips for using the Instant Pot!
Jackie,
Could you please share your adaptation for the Instant Pot?
Getting ready to make this just wondering if we could use whole green beans instead of the French?
Yes, Sabrina. I have tried this with regular whole green beans before and it turned out just fine.
Hi, I’m planning to try this recipe. Is this dish suitable for either preparation in advance or as leftovers? If yes, how do you recommend storing, under each scenario?
Hi, Fleurette. When made in advance, this Fasolakia will store well in the fridge, tightly covered, for 3-4 days. You can try to freeze leftovers for later use. Thaw over night in the fridge and warm over medium heat with a little bit of added liquid if needed. Just be aware that, as with most vegetable dishes, freezing can sometimes compromise the texture.