Fasolakia (Greek Green Bean Stew)

Soups

Fasolakia (Greek Green Bean Stew)

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Prep

10 minutes

Cook

50 minutes

Yield

4

Fasolakia is a Greek bean stew that is incredibly comforting. It's made by stewing green beans with herbs, lots of olive oil, and tomatoes. You'll eat this up this fall!

Fasolakia is such a comforting dish. It’s a Greek green bean stew, essentially green beans stewed in tomatoes, herbs, olive oil, and tomatoes. It falls under the category of Ladera which are vegetable dishes cooked in olive oil in Greek (and other cultures) cuisines). The best part about Ladera dishes is they are vegetarian and vegan cooked in copious amounts of delicious, silky olive oil.

❤️ Why You’ll Love Fasolakia

  • Quick Prep: Prep this fasolakia in only 10 minutes, the rest of the time (50 minutes) is spent cooking
  • Versatile: Greeks usually eat this up on its own with a slice of fresh bread and some feta cheese, but you can serve it as a side dish to a protein as well
  • Comforting: When you think of stew you naturally think of comfort food, this dish is incredibly comforting
  • Gut-Healthy: This recipe is great for your digestion as green beans are high in fiber

🍲 Ingredients

Green Beans – I love green beans! For this dish, you’ll want to use fresh green beans, but if you have to use frozen, you totally could. Green beans are so good at helping with inflammation and are a good source of folate and potassium. Green beans are also high in fiber which helps keep your digestive track on-point

Olive Oil – This is a key ingredient in Ladera dishes and it’s important to use a good quality oil for the best flavor. NEVER substitute it for another oil like vegetable or canola. You’ll want to make sure you buy extra virgin olive oil, and it’s always a good rule of thumb to look for one NOT in a clear bottle for the best flavor and quality

Tomatoes – If you are making this when tomatoes are in season the fresh tomatoes will make it fire. However, you can use fresh tomatoes all year round or substitute the fresh for crushed/canned tomatoes instead

Close-up of fasolakia

👩‍🍳 How to Make Fasolakia

  1. In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent. Add the potatoes and salt and pepper and cook until the potatoes begin to develop some golden brown color, about 5-8 minutes.
  2. Add the green beans and cook for about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes, sugar, paste, zucchini, and mint. Stir to combine.
  4. Add the 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, keeping at a simmer with the lid on the pot for 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Check once and a while to make sure there is always water in the pot. You don’t want this to be a soup-like dish but you want some extra liquid so you can enjoy that beautiful sauce with a slice of bread. If needed, add 1/2 cup more water.
  6. After 45-50 minutes, serve in bowls topped with feta, a drizzle of olive oil, and a slice of bread to dip in.

🎩 Tips and Tricks

  • Tomatoes to Tangy? If you find the tomatoes taste too tangy, especially when they’re out of season, I like to add some salt
  • Tomatoes to acidity? Add in a little bit more of the sugar. Start with a pinch at a time as you don’t want to turn your dish too sweet
  • Serving: Serve this dish with a big slice of crusty bread, top it with feta and/or fresh parsley
  • How to keep your gut healthy: Keeping my digestive tract in order is a top priority for me, and that’s why I like to prioritize gut-healthy ingredients like green beans into my meal plan each week, but also take supplements like ION* Gut Support. This all-natural, daily wellness supplement is a go-to in my daily routine. It helps diversify the microbiome in your gut, supports digestion, and helps you absorb nutrients. It has been such an easy addition that makes such a big difference in my digestive health

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🗒 Substitutions

Here are some easy substitutions you can make in this recipe:

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  • Tomatoes: You can use canned tomatoes in place of fresh tomatoes in this recipe
  • Green Beans: If you don’t have fresh green beans, you can use frozen green beans, but fresh is always best


🗒 Best served with

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Fridge: You can store leftover fasolakia in the fridge in an airtight container for 5 days

Freeze: You can freeze leftovers for up to 3-months, but honestly, you’ll probably eat this all in one sitting

🤔 Common Questions

What does ladera mean?

Also known as lathera, comes from the word lathi which is Greek for oil. Essentially it is a way of cooking vegetables in olive oil with a combination of herbs and tomato. Most Greeks have been raised cooking this simple way. It’s so delicious.

What is fasolakia?

Slowly stewed green beans cooked in olive oil, herbs, and tomatoes. It’s incredibly comforting, and delicious.

How to clean green beans

If you are using fresh green beans, trim off the stem that often is on the end of the bean. Some store-bought green beans will come pre-cleaned and this will not be necessary.

What are other gut-friendly foods?

Fermented foods like yogurt, tempeh, and miso, adding whole grains to your diet, and eating lots of veggies, beans, and fruit, are all ways to add gut-friendly foods.

Fasolakia (Greek Bean Stew)

5 from 12 votes
Fasolakia is a Greek bean stew that is incredibly comforting. It's made by stewing green beans with herbs, lots of olive oil, and tomatoes. You'll eat this up this fall!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Vegetarian Meals
Cuisine Greek
Servings 4
Calories 263 kcal
I’m Your Mommy Now

Your Greek mommy that is. 😍 Step into my kitchen to learn how to make yummy Greek food. 🍽️💃

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 3 potatoes quartered, than halved
  • 2 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 4 cups green beans
  • 3 large tomatoes
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 cups zucchini cut into semi-circles
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint chopped
  • 1 1/2-2 cups water
  • vegan or regular feta, olive oil, salt and bread for serving
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Instructions
 

  • In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent. Add the potatoes and salt and pepper and cook until the potatoes begin to develop some golden brown colour, about 5-8 minutes.
  • Add the green beans and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Add in the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, zucchini and mint. Stir to combine.
  • Add the 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, keeping at a simmer with the lid on the pot for 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Check once and a while to make sure there is always water in the pot. You don’t want this to be a soup-like dish but you definitely want some extra liquid so you can enjoy that beautiful sauce with a slice of bread. If needed, add 1/2 cup more water.
  • After 45-50 minutes, serve in bowls topped with feta and a drizzle of olive oil and a slice of bread to dip in.

Video

Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.6g | Protein: 4.9g | Fat: 14.5g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1489.2mg | Fiber: 6.8g | Sugar: 9.2g
Review This Recipe Let us know how it was!
Kevin Stack

Just made it tonight for dinner! So healthy and delicious, will definitely be a staple!!

Maria Koutsogiannis

That makes me so happy, thank you Kevin!!!

5 from 12 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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