Green Bean Stew (Braised Green Beans)

5 from 14 votes
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A simple green bean stew with a combination of slow-cooked fresh green beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili, olive oil, and salt & pepper. These braised green beans are deliciously served hot or cold as part of a main dish or side!

Stirring Green Bean stew in a pot

You know how some dishes seem so simple that you can’t possibly imagine them tasting so good, and yet they do? That’s what this green bean stew is! Inspired by Lebanese green beans (Loubieh B’zeit), which I’ve grown up eating, this dish combines just a few simple, fresh ingredients for a delicious but also super easy green bean recipe. With only six ingredients (not including salt and pepper), you can create these delightful braised green beans.

Not to mention that this dish is gluten-free, vegan, and made in just one pan. The resulting green bean salad can be served warm or cold – as a truly versatile dish! As fresh green bean recipes go, this is one of my all-time favorites- and hopefully will become one of yours too.

What is Loubieh B’zeit (Loubyeh Bi zeit)?

This green bean stew is a take on my lifelong favorite green bean dish – loubieh b’zeit. These braised green beans are slow-cooked in olive oil and tomatoes until the green beans are tender, and every spoonful is packed full of flavor.

Even without tons of additional herbs and spices, the slow cooking of the green beans with the other ingredients leads to a rich sauce and dish that can be served warm with rice (and sometimes meat), cold as a green bean salad recipe or mezze dish, spooned into pita wraps, and more.

A handful of green beans

This green bean stew, or at least very similar variations, is found in several countries: Greece, Turkey, and a number of Middle-Eastern/Levantine countries. All I can say is, there must be a reason it’s so popular, so why not give it a go?

And if you’re worried about the long cooking time leading to mushy green beans – don’t. These green beans are velvety and smooth, but definitely not mushy.

Let’s first have a closer look at the ingredients used in this green bean stew.

Close up of Green Bean stew in a pot

The Braised Green Beans Ingredients

With just six simple ingredients, this dish relies on each flavor to add its twist to the dish.

  • Green Beans –  The star of the dish, green beans are the perfect vegetable for this stew. The beans soak up the surrounding flavors and become almost “melt-in-the-mouth” and velvety in texture.
  • Tomatoes – Just like how slow-cooked marinara sauces go from “just tomatoes” to rich and full of depth, the slow-cooked tomatoes really make this dish something special
  • Onion & Garlic – This dish doesn’t need tons of herbs and spices to have buckets of flavor. Onion and garlic add more than enough flavor!
  • Chili Peppers – These are optional; however, they add a fantastic bit of heat to the dish and additional layers of flavor.
  • Olive Oil – Don’t be tempted to omit this from the dish in search of a “healthier” recipe, because olive oil takes this dish to whole new levels. The way it combines with the other ingredients and creates a soft, velvety ‘mouth feel’ is definitely not to be passed up and is the way this dish is meant to be made. Plus, it fills the dish with healthy fats.
  • Salt and Pepper – All I need for my family’s version of this dish. Although, read the notes for further options.

Read the recipe notes & variations section below for ingredient swaps and simple additions you can make to this easy green bean recipe.

Green Bean stew and pita bread

How To Make The Green Bean Stew

What I love about this dish is how the flavor creeps up on you. When you first combine the ingredients, don’t be tempted to try the stew. Even after half the cooking time, if you sneak a cheeky taste – you’ll wonder what all the fuss is about. But after the full cooking time, allowing all the flavors to blend and develop – you are left with rich and flavorful braised green beans.

The Ingredients

Ingredients for Green Bean Stew
  • Green Beans (I used Flat Beans)
  • Tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili pepper
  • Olive oil, salt & pepper

Read the recipe card for the full quantities and instructions.

The Steps

Begin by rinsing the green beans, pat dry, and then slice off the hard ends of each bean. You can make this job go by super quickly by holding a few green beans in place and lining up the ends and then slicing them all off in one go.

Cleaning green beans

Chop the green beans into 1-2″ pieces and finely dice the onions and garlic. Then, cut the tomatoes in half (or smaller pieces if you prefer).

Chopped ingredients for green bean stew

Add the onion to a large pan with a little olive oil and sauté lightly for a few minutes, until beginning to soften. Next, add the beans, chilies, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and simmer, with the lid on, for around 25 minutes, until the beans are tender and the tomatoes have broken down into a delicious braising liquid. If you’re using thinner green beans then this may take slightly less time (check at the 15-minute mark and continue, as needed).

Cooking green beans steps

If you want to remove the tomato skins from the pot then you can use a fork at this stage.

removing tomato skin from green bean stew

Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Your green bean stew is now ready to serve. Optionally, garnish with parsley or tarragon.

Green Bean stew in a pot

How To Serve & Store

Serve warm with rice, like this Persian Fluffy Basmati Dill Rice, alternatively, leave to cool down and chill in the fridge, then serve as a green bean salad- add to wraps, and more. I love to serve mine as part of a mezze platter along with Lebanese Spicy Potatoes Batata HarraGluten-free Muhammara Dip (Roasted Red Pepper Dip)Homemade Labneh and labneh ballsSimple Stuffed Makdous (cured eggplant)Spinach Fatayer (Lebanese spinach pie)Traditional Tabbouleh Salad ( Tabouli Salad), and other dips and mezze dishes.

For more of a greek twist, you can serve alongside potatoes and with some Feta cheese (or Vegan Feta).

Any leftovers will store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. This recipe is also freezer-friendly and will freeze for up to 2 months (possibly longer, but I’ve never tried further than that).

To reheat, simply allow to thaw in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. It may be slightly watered down after freezing. Feel free to add a spoonful or two of tomato puree, if wanted.

Green Bean stew in a bowl with pita bread

Recipe Notes & Possible Variations

  • I use halved plum tomatoes that slowly break down while being braised. However, you can also dice your tomatoes for a more broken down sauce.
  • Use your choice of green beans. The flat green beans that I used are slightly tougher, so great for a braised green beans dish. However, string beans, french green beans, and runner beans/ flat beans all work.
  • Depending on what green beans you use, you may need to de-string them before use. Otherwise, the fibrous strings can be quite unpleasant to eat.
  • Omit the chili peppers if you’d prefer a spice-less green bean stew.
  • My family recipe has never included lots of additional spices. But if you do want a little extra, then warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice work well. Or even cumin.
  • You can, optionally, serve with lemon slices. A little bit of lemon juice over the green bean dish tastes absolutely wonderful.
  • You can use red onions in place of the golden onions.
  • You can also use frozen green beans for this recipe, or even tinned green beans. Though tinned beans will be mushier.
  • In a pinch, canned tomatoes will do for the tomato sauce. Just choose a high-quality variety like San Marzano tomatoes.
  • If you want to bulk up the green bean stew, then you could add leftover chickpeas or other beans.

Related Recipes

If you give this recipe a go, then let me know your thoughts in the comments. Also, feel free to tag me in your recreations @AlphaFoodie.

Green Bean Stew (Loubyeh b’zeit)

5 from 14 votes
By: Samira
A Simple green bean stew with a combination of slow-cooked fresh green beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili, olive oil, and salt & pepper. These braised green beans are delicious served hot or cold as part of a main dish or side!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 
 

  • 1.1 pound green beans
  • 1.1 pound tomatoes ripe
  • 1 onion medium sized
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 chilli pepper optional

Instructions 

  • Rinse the green beans, pat dry, and then slice off the hard ends of each bean. You can make this job go by super quickly by holding a few green beans in place and lining up the ends and then slicing them all off in one go.
  • Chop the green beans into 1-2″ pieces and finely dice the onions and garlic. Then, cut the tomatoes in half.
  • Add the onion to a large pan with a little of the olive oil and saute lightly for a few minutes, until beginning to soften. Next, add the beans, chilies, and tomatoes.
  • Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and simmer, with the lid on, for around 25 minutes, until the beans are tender and the tomatoes have broken down into a delicious braising liquid. If you're using thinner green beans then this may take slightly less time (check at 15-minute mark and continue, as needed).
  • If you want to remove the tomato skins from the pot then you can, I usually leave them in.
  • Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Your green bean stew is now ready to serve. Optionally, garnish with parsley.

How To Store:

  • Any leftovers will store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. This recipe is also freezer-friendly and will freeze for up to 2 months ( possibly longer, but I've never tried further than that). 
    To reheat, simply allow to thaw in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. It may be slightly watered down after freezing. Feel free to add a spoonful or two of tomato puree, if wanted. 

Video

Notes

How To Serve:
Serve warm with rice, like this Persian Fluffy Basmati Dill Rice, alternatively, leave to cool down and chill in the fridge, then serve as a green bean salad- add to wraps, and more. I love to serve mine as part of a mezze platter along with Lebanese Spicy Potatoes Batata Harra, Gluten-free Muhammara Dip (Roasted Red Pepper Dip), Homemade Labneh and labneh balls, Simple Stuffed Makdous (cured eggplant), Spinach Fatayer (Lebanese spinach pie), Traditional Tabbouleh Salad ( Tabouli Salad), and other dips and mezze dishes. 
For more of a greek twist, you can serve alongside potatoes and with some Feta cheese (or Vegan Feta).
Recipe Notes & Possible Variations
  • I use halved plum tomatoes that slowly break down while being braised. However, you can also dice your tomatoes for a more broken down sauce.
  • Use your choice of green beans. The flat green beans that I used are slightly tougher, so great for a braised green beans dish. However, string beans, french green beans, and runner beans/ flat beans all work.
  • Depending on what green beans you use, you may need to de-string them before use. Otherwise, the fibrous strings can be quite unpleasant to eat.
  • Omit the chili peppers if you’d prefer a spiceless green bean stew.
  • My family recipe has never included lots of additional spices. But if you do want a little extra, then warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice work well. Or even cumin. 
  • You can, optionally, serve with lemon slices. A little bit of lemon juice over the green bean dish tastes absolutely wonderful.
  • You can use red onions in place of the golden onions. 
  • You can also use frozen green beans for this recipe, or even tinned green beans ( although they will be mushier)!
  • In a pinch, canned tomatoes will do for the tomato sauce – just choose a high-quality variety like San Marzano tomatoes. 
  • If you want to bulk up the green bean stew, then you could add leftover chickpeas or other beans. 
Course: Appetizer, Main
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Freezer friendly: 2 Months
Shelf life: 1 Week

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 142kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 598mg, Potassium: 644mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 2007IU, Vitamin C: 51mg, Calcium: 69mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4 Comments

    1. Hi Caren,
      Yes, canned tomatoes will do for the tomato sauce. Just choose a high-quality variety if possible. I hope this helps.

  1. I’m making this for the second time. Only I used 2 cans of stewed tomatoes. For lunch I toasted an English muffin, plated them, then put the braised beans and stewed tomatoes over the muffins and topped with 2 Sunnyside up eggs…Damn was that good!! May repeat that today!!