Green Beans in Tomato Sauce
Our Eating Around the World Adventure has taken us to Turkiye.
Now this recipe can in all honesty also be Italian, Greek, Croatian etc. The flavours are Mediterranean and it's delicious, and you will find variations of this recipe in cookbooks from any of these countries.
I served this as a side for a chicken dish I made and my family loved this more than the chicken, even though they enjoyed the chicken also.
I even added pasta to some leftover green beans and sauce for school lunch for my son and he loved it.
The beans cook low and slow for a long time and you think it will be horrible, but the flavour improves over time.
The chilli flakes and vegeta I say are optional as the chilli flakes I add as we like spice, and vegeta I treat as a seasoning, so instead of it being just water added to the dish, you have added a vegetable stock.
This is a great side dish that is simple to make, and tastes so good.
Now this recipe can in all honesty also be Italian, Greek, Croatian etc. The flavours are Mediterranean and it's delicious, and you will find variations of this recipe in cookbooks from any of these countries.
I served this as a side for a chicken dish I made and my family loved this more than the chicken, even though they enjoyed the chicken also.
I even added pasta to some leftover green beans and sauce for school lunch for my son and he loved it.
The beans cook low and slow for a long time and you think it will be horrible, but the flavour improves over time.
The chilli flakes and vegeta I say are optional as the chilli flakes I add as we like spice, and vegeta I treat as a seasoning, so instead of it being just water added to the dish, you have added a vegetable stock.
This is a great side dish that is simple to make, and tastes so good.
Recipe
Recipe adapted from Rick Steins cookbook 'From Venice to Istanbul'
Serves 6
8 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2-1 teaspoon chilli flakes, optional
1/2 teaspoon vegeta, optional
1 teaspoon salt
white pepper, to taste
450g green beans, trimmed, cut in halves or thirds
Serves 6
8 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2-1 teaspoon chilli flakes, optional
1/2 teaspoon vegeta, optional
1 teaspoon salt
white pepper, to taste
450g green beans, trimmed, cut in halves or thirds
Heat 6 tablespoons of the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the onion and sauté, 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, sauté 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, chilli flakes, vegeta and season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the green beans and add just enough water to cover them. Put a lid on the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the lid from the pan and simmer a further 15-20 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and serve.
Add the green beans and add just enough water to cover them. Put a lid on the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the lid from the pan and simmer a further 15-20 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and serve.
Enjoy!