Middle Eastern Beef Stew Recipe with Green Beans

A traditional Middle Eastern beef stew recipe with green beans and tomatoes; otherwise known as fasolia.  I share both the stove-top and slow-cooked beef stew versions today. 

It’s true how our cravings are very much affected by the weather! The last few days here in Atlanta have brought about nonstop rain. The sky seems to have split open releasing all the water it had held in those laden clouds! As if to say: take cover, it’s still February people!  And with that, my mind wandered to cozy childhood recipes like fasolia: a Middle Eastern beef stew recipe with green beans.

Today’s beef stew recipe has all the comfort of our Italian or Greek beef stew recipes, but this one comes from my mother’s kitchen. A hearty pot of tender beef stew with earthy Middle Eastern spices like coriander, cinnamon and allspice; made even more wholesome by the addition of Roma tomatoes and French green beans. There is nothing fancy about this meal. And it’s one that will not win any “beauty” contests. But this traditional green been and beef stew will win your heart!

I followed the stove-top version of this recipe, but you can easily do a slow-cooked beef stew (see the recipe notes). Serve it with a simple white rice or your favorite bread or pita. And I highly recommend fattoush salad for a starter.

Here is the recipe for today’s Beef Stew Recipe with Green Beans (scroll down for the step-by-step tutorial with photos). 

4.85 from 13 votes

Middle Eastern Beef Stew Recipe with Green Beans

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The Mediterranean Dish

A traditional Middle Eastern beef stew recipe with green beans and tomatoes; otherwise known as fasolia. I share both the stove-top and slow-cooked beef stew versions today. 

Prep – 10 minutes mins

Cook – 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Cuisine:

Middle Eastern

Course:

Entree

Ingredients

  

• ▢ 1 lb beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
• ▢ Salt and Pepper
• ▢ 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• ▢ Olive oil
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion chopped
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves chopped
• ▢ 3 Roma tomatoes chopped
• ▢ 3 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 1 heaping tsp ground allspice
• ▢ 1 tsp paprika
• ▢ 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups water
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 lb frozen cut green beans
• ▢ 3 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• ▢ Handful parsley leaves for garnish stems removed

Instructions

 

• Season the beef with salt and pepper, and coat lightly on all sides with the all-purpose flour.
• In a Dutch oven or heavy cooking pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Brown the beef on all sides. Remove the beef from the cooking pot and set it aside briefly.
• Add the chopped onion and garlic to the heated pot; toss briefly on medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix in the allspice, paprika, cinnamon, coriander, a dash of salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high for 3 minutes or so.
• Return the beef back to the pot; add the water and bay leaf.
• Bring everything to a boil for 5 minutes, then cover and simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours.
• Uncover and stir in the frozen green beans and add a small dash of salt. If needed, add a little more water (I did not). Stir once and cover to simmer on low for another 45 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and remove the pot from the heat.
• Transfer the beef stew into serving bowls over rice or with your favorite bread. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

• Slow-cooked beef stew recipe with green beans: once the beef has been lightly seasoned with salt and pepper then coated with the flour, simply place it in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add the onions, garlic, the remaining ingredients minus the pine nuts and parsley. Slightly less water is fine here. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or so, until the beef is tender. Taste to adjust salt and spices to your liking. Serve in bowls with white rice or pita. Garnish with pine nuts and parsley.
• Recommended for this Recipe: Our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives!)
• Visit the Mediterranean Dish store to purchase our all-natural or organic spices.  Create your own 6-pack or 3-pack of your favorites!

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Step-by-step for Middle Eastern Beef Stew Recipe with Green Beans:

Season the beef with salt and pepper, and coat lightly on all sides with the all-purpose flour. In a Dutch oven or heavy cooking pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Brown the beef on all sides. Remove the beef from the cooking pot and set it aside briefly.

Add the chopped onion and garlic to the heated pot; toss briefly on medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix in the allspice, paprika, cinnamon, coriander, a dash of salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high for 3 minutes or so.

Return the beef back to the pot; add the water and bay leaf. Bring everything to a boil for 5 minutes, then cover and simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours.
Uncover and stir in the frozen green beans and add a small dash of salt. If needed, add a little more water (I did not).

Stir once and cover to simmer on low for another 45 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and remove the pot from the heat.

Transfer the beef stew into serving bowls over rice or with your favorite bread. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Enjoy these delicious Mediterranean recipes:

Easy Moroccan Lamb Stew

One-pot Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice

Sicilian-Style Fish Stew

Greek Green Beans