Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia)! Velvety, tender green beans and potatoes, braised in a tomato and extra virgin olive oil sauce. A simple, flavor-packed, and satisfying entree or side dish. Vegan. Gluten Free.
Fasolakia: Greek Green Beans
Egyptians call it Fasolia. Greeks call it Fasolakia. More accurately, Fasolakia Lathera, or braised green beans. Actually, the word Lathera means, "ones with oil," and it describes a whole category of Greek dishes where vegetables are meant to literally swim in quality extra virgin olive oil. Nothing better, in my opinion. You can find similar olive oil-heavy dishes in other parts of the Mediterranean as well. For example, in Turkey, they have zeytinyağlı yemekler, which means “olive oil dishes"(like these braised leeks with garlic).
These Greek green beans are braised in tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil with onions, garlic and spices. Then, they are finished with lemon juice, fresh herbs, and more extra virgin olive oil.
So, unlike crunchy steamed or sauteed green beans, these Greek green beans are velvety, tender, but certainly not mushy.
There are as many variations of traditional Greek green beans as you can imagine. Every household has it's twist. In this recipe, I used potatoes to give the beans more substance as a vegan entree.
What to serve with Greek Green Beans
All you really need is some good Greek pita bread or your favorite rustic bread to sop up the sauce. But, to serve these green beans simply as a side, you can add rice and your favorite protein like grilled chicken or lamb. I typically prepare a simple Greek salad or this 3-ingredient Mediterranean salad to start the meal.
More Recipes To Try
Easy Greek White Bean Soup (Fasolada)
Easy Greek Chicken and Potato Dinner
Greek Moussaka: Eggplant Casserole
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Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
All-star recipe for Greek Green Beans. Velvety, tender green beans & potatoes, braised in a tomato-olive oil sauce. Flavor-packed, satisfying, vegan, and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- Greek extra virgin olive oil (I used Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 28-oz can peeled whole tomato
- 1 cup water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ lb fresh French green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces (frozen green beans work wonderfully in this recipe)
- 3 Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 lb), cut into small piece (½ to ¾-inch pieces)
- Salt and black pepper
- lemon juice
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- In a large Dutch Oven, heat ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, stirring occasionally (about 5 mins). Then add the garlic, cumin, and oregano. Cook another 2 mins, stirring regularly, until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, water, bay leaf, beans, and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a high simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cover and transfer to the heated oven. Cook until the sauce slightly thickens, and the beans and potatoes can easily be cut with side of your fork; about 35 minutes or so. (It's a good idea to check once partway through cooking, add a little bit of water if needed.)
- Remove from oven and stir in 2 tablespoon lemon juice and chopped fresh parsley. Stir in a generous drizzle of olive oil (at least another ¼ cup).
- Serve immediately with Greek pita bread or your favorite rustic bread to sop up the sauce!
Notes
- These green beans are also great as a side dish atop Lebanese rice and next to your favorite protein, chicken kabobs, for example. See more suggestions in the post under "what to serve with Greek Green Beans."
- Recommended for this recipe our Private Reserve or Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil, from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives. And organic ground cumin!
- SAVE! Try our Ultimate Mediterranean Spice Bundle or create your own 6-pack or 3-pack of our all-natural and organic spices.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Fasolakia recipe, green beans recipe
Joe V says
I recently found this site and made this green bean dish yesterday, following the recipe exactly. The dish was absolutely fantastic! My wife and I thought we were at a restaurant. The dish is just bursting with flavor. Thank you for expanding the Mediterranean dishes we can now make at home with your amazing site.
★★★★★
Suzy says
So glad you enjoyed it, Joe!
bozena nikola says
i been making this for ever and every body ask for recipe
★★★★★
Beth Ruchlin says
My Italian mother used to make this exact dish when we were children. Thanks for the reminder of her. I’ll make it this week. Love your recipes Suzy ❤️
Suzy says
Thanks so much, Beth!
Jorie Butler says
This turned out beautifully! Love it and will make again.
★★★★★
Suzy says
Awesome! Thanks, Jorie!
Vera Stuchinski says
This was incredible! I've eaten it 3 days in a row now with crumbled feta cheese on top. This recipe is a keeper.
★★★★★
Nancy Ceglia says
Made this as written except to add a lb. of zucchini squash half moons since I only had 1 lb. of green beans. Even with the additional squash, the flavor was fantastic! Served it over bulgur. We loved it.
Suzy says
Thanks for sharing, Nancy!
Deryck says
I've been going to Greece for 47 years & have had this dish many times - in families' homes or restaurants and I have never ever had garlic or cumin in it. Burn, you should never cook with extra virgin oil. That should only be use as a dressing & never heated.
Stavros says
Real Greek fasolakia doesn’t use oregano in the
dish. I replaced it with sweet red paprika is better.
★★★
Suzy says
Thanks for sharing your variation, Stavros!
Stevie says
Suzy it was very good but .... 2 tsp oregano was
too much. Next time I will use 1/2 tsp.
★★★★
Tina says
Hi Everyone
Used mixed herbs instead of oregano as I had none did add cumin Love olive oil and used double as I prefer more oily.
Flavours worked well!
Happy Greek cooking!
Tina
Suzy says
Than's for sharing your adaptations, Tina!
Nikki Budwall says
Hi Suzy,
This recipe looks delicious, I was just wondering if I could add tender baby lamb chops to this recipe, would I need to increase the ingredients of your recipe to accommodate the chops? What would you recommend ?
Thank you
★★★★★
Suzy says
Hi Nikki, you can absolutely add lamb to this recipe. Depending on how much lamb, you may be okay using the same amount of ingredients here and just adding lamb at an earlier point in cooking. I assume these are quick-cooking lamb chops?
Kay Norman says
I have made this wonderful recipe twice, and exactly as written. Love the tender potatoes and green beans. Used plenty of olive oil and all the seasonings. Looking forward to my leftovers tonight.
Suzy says
Thanks, Kay!
Erene says
Can I make this recipe in the crock pot?
Suzy says
Hi, Erene! I have not tried that before, but I imagine it would work beautifully. I’d do the crock pot on high for 4 hours and see from there or on low for 6 hours and add time if needed. Enjoy!
Kay Norman says
I made this for supper last night, exactly per recipe except I used small baby potatoes, canned San Marzano tomatoes and frozen beans, served with crusty bread. It was absolutely delicious! The spices were perfect. I am looking forward to leftovers tonight. I have enjoyed trying many of your recipes, each one is a winner. My favorite site!
★★★★★
Kay Norman says
I made this tonight for dinner, frozen green beans and canned San Marzano tomatoes. It was awesome! I could have eaten the entire recipe, but excited to have it tomorrow. I really love your recipes! ❤️
★★★★★
Suzy says
Thank you!! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kay!
Mohamed Adaoui says
Hi I tried this one yesterday it was so nice my neighbours commented on the aromatic smell coming from my kitchen .
Thank you i loved it it was delicious
★★★★★
Suzy says
So glad you enjoyed it, Mohamed!
Chris says
This is amazing! Sop up the juice with bread.
★★★★★
Suzy says
Awesome, Chris! Thanks for sharing
Aliza says
Would love to make this but I don't currently own a dutch oven. What would you recommend to use instead?
Suzy says
Hi Aliza, if you have an oven-safe pot you can use it. Otherwise, you can transfer the fasolakia to an oven-safe baking dish with a cover after step #3
honouria says
Oh wow - I made this for dinner tonight. It is outstanding! This recipe is a keeper and I will make it again. Easy with frozen green beans.
★★★★★
Suzy says
Thanks so much!
Janine says
Can leftovers be frozen?
Suzy says
Yes, you can freeze leftovers for later use. Thaw over night in the fridge and warm over medium heat with a little bit of added liquid if needed.
Michele says
Suzy, can I make this a few hours ahead and warm it up later?
Suzy says
Sure! That should be fine, Michele
Jean White says
I've been searching for main dishes that are so stunning that no one would consider adding meat, and this is definitely one of those. The search was in response to a question from a cooking group on Facebook from someone looking for meat-free meals. I'm not a vegetarian but I love vegetables more than I love meat, plus respect the lives of animals, so intend to steer myself in that direction. Thanks for this lovely meal, and the others.
★★★★★
Suzy says
So glad this recipe worked out for what you needed, Jean! Thank you!