Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye (Green Beans in Olive Oil)
The definitive Turkish olive oil dish: flat green beans slowly braised with onion, tomato and plenty of extra virgin olive oil, then served at room temperature with lemon. Simple, healthy and endlessly moreish.
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Ingredients
800g fresh flat green beans, topped, tailed and cut into 4-5cm pieces
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, grated
1 tbsp tomato paste
100ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
200ml hot water
Lemon wedges, to serve
Instructions
- 1
Wash the beans, snap off the ends, pull away any strings and cut them diagonally into 4-5cm pieces.
- 2
Warm the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 6-7 minutes until soft and translucent, adding the garlic for the final minute.
- 3
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the grated tomatoes, sugar, salt and black pepper and simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened.
- 4
Add the beans and turn them through the sauce until well coated, then pour in the hot water; it should come only partway up the beans.
- 5
Cover with a tight lid, reduce the heat to low and braise gently for 30-35 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the beans are completely tender and the liquid has reduced to a glossy sauce.
- 6
Turn off the heat and let the beans cool in the pan; serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges, crusty bread and white cheese.
Zeytinyagli taze fasulye is the queen of Turkey's zeytinyagli dishes, the family of vegetables braised in olive oil and eaten warm or at room temperature. Every Turkish household makes it through summer, and it is exactly the kind of make-ahead dish that suits busy UK kitchens: it genuinely tastes better the next day, straight from the fridge shelf.
Flat beans, called helda or Turkish flat beans, are the traditional choice because they turn meltingly tender without falling apart. The technique matters more than the ingredient list: sweat the onion gently in generous olive oil, layer the beans over the tomato base, add only a little water and let everything braise slowly in its own steam. A small spoon of sugar balances the tomato's acidity, an old Istanbul trick.
Serve with a wedge of lemon, fresh crusty bread to mop up the juices and a slice of white cheese on the side. You will find fresh flat beans, Yorem extra virgin olive oil and Oncu tomato paste at Turkish Online Market, delivered anywhere in the UK.
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