Fasolakia Green Flat Bean Stew

Fasolakia, also known as Green Beans Stew, is a traditional Greek dish, cooked in the summer months, that is simple, cooked in one pot, healthy and flavour packed. It combines velvety green beans, diced potatoes, carrots and zucchini that are slowly cooked in a rich olive oil and tomato sauce until they all soften and flavours are infused.

First Published Dec 2020

Revised Jan 2023

What are Fasolakia

Fasolakia is green beans stewed in a good amount of olive oil, tomatoes, and onion. This Greek dish belongs to the category of 'LATHERA', which is a whole category of Greek recipes where vegetables are cooked in extra virgin olive oil and tomato. LATHERA foods are traditionally eaten with bread that is used like a spoon, to "scoop up" the tomato-olive oil sauce. The meals are often served with olives and feta cheese.

Watch How to Make It

Helpful Tips

Green Beans

There are 2 types of green beans that can be used for this recipe. The traditional round green beans or the flat and wide green beans. This recipe works the same, regardless of which green beans are chosen. It is recommended that if you choose the flat green beans, a potato peeler is used to peel both string sides of the beans, as they can be hard to chew.

Swapping Vegetables

Traditionally, onions, potatoes, and carrots are added to fasolakia and this enhances the rich and velvety sauce. However, this is not limited to only these vegetables. I have swapped potato for cauliflower florets and carrot for sweet potato. This changes the flavour of the fasolakia, but the meal still falls in the food category of LATHETRA.

Vegetable Stock

If homemade vegetable stock is available, then this is a wonderful addition to the dish. However, I have found to really enjoy SAN ELK certified organic artisan stock. It is gluten and dairy free, made with real ingredients and one container makes about 12 litres of stock as the ingredients are finely ground. You can find them HERE

What to Serve with Fasolakia

Fasolakia is eaten as a main meal and served with feta, olives and bread, however, here are some ideas to serve it with, if made as a side dish.

Roasted Leg of Lamb

Lamb Cutlets with Sage and Chickpeas

Chicken and Halloumi Tray Bake

Deconstructed Chicken Souvlaki

Rice Stuffed Vegetables

Below shows how feta can be crumbled over the top and fresh herbs added.

And now it’s time to start cooking! As always, if you make any of my recipes, I would love to hear your feedback. I am available here via email or you can catch me daily on Instagram and Facebook and don’t forget to save it on your Pinterest board!

Happy Creating,

Margaret

Fasolakia, Green Bean Stew

Serves 4

Prep 15 minutes

Cook 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

500g round or flat green beans

400g can diced tomatoes

60ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil

1 heaped tablespoon of tomato paste

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium size potatoes, 4cm cubed

2 medium size carrots, 2cm thick

2 medium size zucchinis, 3cm thick

1 cinnamon stick

2 teaspoons sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Vegetable Stock:

700-800ml boiling water

1 tablespoon organic vegetable stock powder* (see notes below)

To serve optional:

Feta

Olives

Bread

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare all ingredients and have them ready to cook. If the green beans are very long, then using a potato peeler, peel the string ends on each side of the beans and cut them into 10cm long pieces. Bring to boil the kettle or heat the vegetable stock if using a ready-made liquid stock. Please see below* for vegetable stock options.

2. In a wide base pot heat the extra virgin olive oil and then add the onion and garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

3. Next add the carrots and green beans and sauté for a further 2 minutes before adding the potatoes and zucchini. Combine.

4. Add the tomato paste and combine so that it evenly coats all the vegetables. Sauté for a minute before adding the diced tomatoes, boiling water, vegetable stock, sea salt and pepper, and cinnamon stick. There should be enough water to just cover most of the beans and vegetables.

5. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 35 minutes. Halfway through gently stir making sure all beans and vegetables have been covered and cooked in the liquid.

6. After 35 minutes, remove the lid and cook over heat for a further 5 minutes, to allow the sauce to thicken and reduce. Turn off the heat, cover again with the lid and allow sitting to further absorb liquid for at least 5 minutes.

7. Take the pot to the table and serve warm with crusty bread, feta and olives!

*Options for vegetable stock

• Homemade vegetable stock

• Add a tablespoon of vegetable stock concentrate or finely ground vegetable stock powder to boiling water and combine well to create vegetable liquid stock.

• Store-bought liquid stock