There is a classification of recipes in Turkish cuisine called zeytinyağlı, which translates as “dishes braised in olive oil”. Simply put, it is seasonal vegetables like green beans, zucchini, or leeks are cooked in a good amount of olive oil along with summer tomatoes and onion and served at room temperature when their flavor is most prominent.
This Turkish beans recipe is essentially stewed string beans cooked in a warm skillet until soft, juicy, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. The result is very satisfactory as the low and slow cooking time produces super flavorful beans.
I know many people enjoy making classic green bean dishes like Air Fryer Green Beans and Garlic Butter Green Beans, but I hope you give this version a try.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Turkish style braised green beans require just a handful of simple ingredients. We will need the following:
- Fresh Green Beans: I used regular green beans you can easily find at the grocery store. However, the most popular green beans in Turkey are runner beans (çalı fasulye) and romano beans or flat beans (Ayşekadın fasulye). If you are lucky, you may be able to spot them at your local farmer’s market during the summer months. But you can use any green bean, including long beans, string beans, or Haricots Verts (French beans), in this recipe.
- Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for a rich, fruity flavor.
- Onion: Diced onion adds a delicious savory flavor. Feel free to replace the onion with washed and diced leeks instead.
- Tomato Paste: This is optional, but tomato paste adds a depth of flavor, and it’s how my mom always made them.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves give these string beans an extra punchy bite.
- Tomatoes: I used canned diced tomatoes with their own juices, which is why this recipe doesn’t include any water. However, if you are using fresh tomatoes (about 2 medium-sized tomatoes), add about ¼ cup water.
- Seasonings: A simple seasoning of Kosher salt and black pepper keeps the green beans front and center.
- Sugar: Do not skip the sugar. This is the secret ingredient that brightens all the flavors and balances the bitterness in the vegetables.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh dill is classic, but fresh mint or parsley can be used instead.
- Lemon Juice: A squeeze of lemon juice right before serving is optional but a welcome addition to brighten up the dish.
Optional Add-Ins
- Meat: If you prefer more of a warm one-pot summer meal, you can brown ½ pound ground beef along with the onion and follow the rest of the recipe as written. Alternatively, you can use stew meat. If you go in that direction, be sure to dry the meat thoroughly, season it with salt and pepper, and sear it in the pot using a few tablespoons of olive oil until lightly browned but not fully cooked, 7-8 minutes. Remove onto a platter and follow the recipe as written. Add the browned stew meat back in after adding the green beans, and cook as directed.
- Beans: It is not traditional, but you can toss in a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or white beans for an extra dose of plant protein.
- Spices: You can add additional spices like cumin, red pepper flakes, Aleppo pepper, or paprika.
- Cinnamon: Some variations of this Turkish bean dish include cinnamon, about ¼ teaspoon or so. My mom never added cinnamon, but I think a small amount would be a welcome addition.
- Cheese: There is a similar recipe in Greece called fasolakia, which is often served with salty and tangy crumbles of feta cheese. We mostly serve it with a side of thick yogurt, but if you want to follow in the footsteps of the Greeks, you can crumble some feta on top.
How to Make Turkish Green Beans?
If you are ready to try something new, I can not imagine a better dish than this stewed green beans recipe. Luckily, it comes together in one pot in just a few easy steps. Simply:
- Saute onion: In a medium saute pan or heavy pot (such as a Dutch Oven), heat olive oil over medium-high heat until warm but not smoking. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add aromatics: Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes and green beans: Next, stir in the diced tomatoes, green beans, kosher salt, black pepper, and sugar. Give it a gentle stir to ensure that the green beans and tomatoes are evenly distributed.
- Cook low and slow: Cover and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the beans are softened but still tender, 35-45 minutes. Be sure to stir it a few times while cooking.
- Garnish: Stir in the dill. Serve with yogurt and lemon wedges on the side.
Serving Suggestions
In Turkish tradition, braised green beans and accompanying vegetable dishes are served as a course themselves, before or after a meaty main dish. However, the rich and luxurious textures and flavors from this green bean dish can be served with any of the following:
- Yogurt: Keep it traditional with a dollop of yogurt, Tzatziki, Yogurt Dressing, Dill Yogurt Sauce, or Turkish Yogurt Drink.
- With Pilaf: For a more filling meal, serve it over Bulgur Wheat Pilaf or Rice With Vermicelli.
- Side Dish: Serve it as a side dish with classic Mediterranean dishes like Turkish Kofte or Mediterranean Lemon Chicken.
- Fresh Bread: Serve these tender beans with crusty bread, like No Knead Bread or warm pita to soak up all the juices.
- Meze: Make it a delicious summer meal with hummus, pita, crudite, a selection of cheeses, and a fruit salad.
FAQs
Turkish green beans, also known as zeytinyağlı taze fasulye, are fresh green beans cooked in a tomato sauce made of tomatoes, onions, garlic, and olive oil and slow-simmered until tender.
Fresh, tender green beans are ideal, but any variety will work, such as string beans, haricots verts, runner beans, or flat beans. For this recipe, avoid frozen and canned green beans.
Yes, Turkish green beans are naturally vegan and vegetarian as they are made with extra virgin olive oil, green beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic, fresh herbs, and seasonings.
Other Mediterranean Recipes You Might Also Like
- Recipe for Turkish Meatballs
- Meatball Potato Casserole
- Simit
- Spinach Borek
- How to Prepare Turkish Coffee
- Tahini Yogurt Dressing
- Mediterranean Lemon Chicken
If you try this Turkish Style Green Beans recipe or any other recipe on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. If you take some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them in my stories.
Turkish Green Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium-sized onion, chopped (~1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cab diced tomatoes, (15-ounce can) or 2 medium tomatoes cut into small cubes
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or cane sugar or coconut sugar
- ¼ cup fresh dill or parsley
For Serving (Optional)
- 1 cup yogurt dill sauce, or plain unsweetened yogurt
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium-size saute pan or a heavy bottom pan (such as a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-6 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook for another minute or so.
- Add the diced tomatoes, green beans, kosher salt, black pepper, and sugar.
- Give it a gentle stir to ensure that the green beans and tomatoes are evenly distributed in the pan. Put the lid on, bring it to a boil, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook until the beans are softened but still tender, 35-45 minutes. Be sure to stir it a few times during the cooking process.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Stir in the dill and serve with yogurt and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Yields: This dish makes 6-7 cups of braised green beans, which is ideal for serving 4 people. The nutritional values below are per serving.
- Preparing the green beans: We used fresh string beans from supermarkets. To prepare them for cooking, simply cut the stem ends off first, then cut them in half, making sure all the beans are roughly the same size. If you are lucky enough to find romano beans or flat beans, you will need to remove the string from the bean. First, snap one end off and pull it all the way down to remove the string. Then repeat on the other side.
- Cooking times may vary: Keep in mind that the cooking duration may be different depending on the type of green beans you use. Start checking around 25-30 minutes. If they are still crisp, keep cooking until tender.
- The best part of this recipe is that it stores well and can be made ahead making it ideal for your summer meal prep. Here are my best make-ahead and storage tips:
- Make Ahead: The dish can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored, covered, in the fridge. They often taste better the next day. Simply remove from the refrigerator 30 – 45 minutes before serving.
- Storage: Leftover green beans will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy them cold as a salad or at room temperature.
- Reheat: If you prefer the green beans warm, reheat them in a skillet over medium heat until warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So delicious!
Thank you Dalya!
What happens to the whole onion on top?
You can cut it up and eat it as well.
Hope this answers your question.
I am sooo happy I discovered your blog…just saw it on The Dinner Special!! I am also a food blogger and from a mixed background_ mom’s side is Turkish, both sides Jewish, from NY, California, Hawaii and now in Washington! My mom (and I now) make “fasulye” with green beans, toamto water and meat and eat it with rice! My husband and I went to Istanbul 2 years ago and fell in love..it really felt like I was connected to my background again. So excited to check out your blog too!!
Hey Samantha! I am so glad you found me. Istanbul is beautiful isn’t it? And fasulye is my absolute favorite dish in life.
I still haven’t listen to the podcast. There is something about hearing your own voice.. You know what I mean?
It is very nice to meet you.
PS: WoW! your website is pretty cool to. Lot’s of great recipes. <3
Öyle güzel bir anlatım ve sunum ki, hemen buzluğa baktım taze fasulyem olup, olmadığına. Çok zarif vintage çatallarınıza da vuruldum.
Boyle guzel bir notu Turki birinden almak beni cok memnun etti Tuba Hanim. Zira Karayiplerdeki uyduruk yesil fasulyelerle ancak bu kadar yapabildim. 🙂
Cok tesekkur ederim. Selamlar & Sevgiler.
There are versions of this dish here in Portugal, from north to south, and I am betting there some in Spain as well. It’s one dish I make my own version of quite often, though it doesn’t get as hot here as it must do in Turkey!!
http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
Same here.. I totally agree, it is such a versatile yet delicious dish. I’d love to hear how you make it. 🙂