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This recipe typically takes about 2 hours, but I managed to cut that time in half! Vibrant flavors while being a part of the Mediterranean diet! Greece’s traditional braised green beans are usually soft and velvety, and not as crisp as other recipes. This recipe went very well with Feta-Stuffed Lamb Meatballs with Feta Sauce. Give this a try with your next meal!
Unlike crisp and tender green beans that have been steamed or sauteed, Greece’s traditional braised green beans are on the softer side with a nice velvety texture to them. They aren’t mushy either! This recipe typically takes about 2 hours, but that time was cut in half. The secret? Baking soda! This ingredient weakens the cell walls of the green beans to create a soft texture. The diced tomatoes were added for a sweet flavor, but I felt normal diced tomatoes were boring. I used a diced tomato with onions, celery, and peppers. That gave it more life than I thought! The acid from the tomatoes also aided in neutralizing the baking soda, making sure the green beans didn’t turn to mush.
How to make Greek Braised Green Beans with Potatoes
This recipe is time-consuming, but the result is utterly delicious! I really mean it when I say you need to give this recipe a try at least once. It’s so comforting, flavorful, and texture pleasing. It isn’t mushy, nor is it undercooked. It is recommended that you use a Dutch Oven, as this recipe requires that you place the pot in the oven, covered, and cook it for 45-50 minutes.
- Olive Oil
- Medium Yellow Onion
- Fresh Oregano: This can be substited for dried as stated in the recipe!
- Garlic: It’s not greek unless there’s garlic, and lots of it!
- Green Beans: This recipe calls for fresh. I haven’t tried it with frozen, but I feel it would become mush because of the thawing process it would undergo in the dish. Plus, fresh is always better anyway!
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: These potatoes give the buttery element to the dish. These potatoes cook along with the green beans, so both are done at the same time!
- Baking Soda: The secret ingredient! The baking soda aids the beans by breaking down some of the green beans cell walls so that they have a soft texture to them.
- 14 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes with Onions, Celery, and Peppers: You can use regular plain old diced tomatoes if you can’t find this specific can. These tomatoes give the dish a little more flavor to it.
- Tomato Paste
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh Basil
- Lemon Juice
Preheat your oven to 275F. In a dutch oven over medium heat, add the olive oil until it starts to shimmer. Add the onions and cook until it’s softened. Add the oregano and garlic and cook for a little bit, just until fragrant. Add some water, green beans, potatoes, and baking soda. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, some salt, and pepper. Cover the pot and transfer into the oven; cook for about 45-50 minutes, just until the green beans and potatoes can easily be cut with a fork. Once it is done, remove the pot from the oven and stir in the basil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
Tips & FAQs
- Do I need to add the baking soda? What if I don’t have any? Yes, you do need to add the baking soda, unless you plan on making a traditional Greek braised green beans by cooking it for 2 hours. If you don’t have any baking soda, you can always try substituting it, though I’m not sure how the green beans will come out.
- What to serve with this recipe: All you really need is some good pita bread or some rustic bread to pick up the sauce. If you were to serve this as a side, you can add your favorite protein. I made Feta-Stuffed Lamb Meatballs with Feta Sauce to serve with this delicious dish! You can also prepare a greek salad.
- Do you need to destring the green beans? Not typically. Back in time, the green beans needed to be peeled. However, in todays society, you don’t need to destring them! This is due to selective breeding. All you need to do is trim the edges off.
- You can store this in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Allow them to cool completely before putting them in the fridge. To reheat this, toss them in a hot pan and warm them up until it’s hot throughout.
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Braised Green Beans with Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped oregano, or 2 tsp dried
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with onions, celery, and peppers
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- Lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to a lower-middle position to fit the Dutch oven. Preheat to 275F.
- In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano, and cook for a minute more or until fragrant.
- Stir in the water, green beans, potatoes, and baking soda. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, some salt, and pepper. Cover the pot, then transfer to the oven. Cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and the green beans can be cut easily with the side of a fork, about 45-50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Stir in the basil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Transfer the green beans to a serving bowl and serve immediately. Drizzle with some extra olive oil if you wish!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
195.36Fat (grams)
7.65Sat. Fat (grams)
1.12Carbs (grams)
30.38Fiber (grams)
7.25Net carbs
23.13Sugar (grams)
8.56Protein (grams)
5.43Sodium (milligrams)
264.75Cholesterol (grams)
0I did my best to research! Let me know if these are correct!
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