Mediterranean Green Beans (frozen green bean recipe)

Name: Mediterranean Green Beans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil; 1 cup diced onion; 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1/4 cup tomato paste; 2 cups vegetable broth; 12 to 16 ounces frozen green beans; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 pound Yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled, cut into ½-inch pieces; Fresh chopped parsley or fresh dill; Salt and pepper; Optional: A squeeze of lemon juice over the finished dish

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Mediterranean green beans are a richly flavorful and filling side dish. Tender green beans and creamy potatoes are infused with Mediterranean flavors like tomato, olive oil, oregano, lemon and garlic. This is a really delicious side dish and a great way to use frozen green beans!

One simple way to cook frozen green beans is tossing them on a sheet-pan and making frozen roasted green beans. But if you want more flavor, this recipe for Greek-style green beans is the way to go.

Mediterranean green beans are a favorite frozen green bean recipe!

Defrosted frozen green beans naturally have a soft texture, so this cooking method is a perfect way to use frozen green beans. The green beans are braised until soft and meltingly tender with a really flavorful blend of Mediterranean flavors.

Unlike most recipes for Mediterranean green beans, this recipe uses tomato paste instead of canned tomatoes. This gives the dish a smoother, creamier texture without big chunks of tomato.

Looking for more green bean recipes? If you're a green bean lover, try garlicky Instant Pot green beans with soy sauce or sheet-pan salmon and green beans with sesame-lime dressing.

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Ingredients
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
What to Serve with Mediterranean Green Beans
Recipe FAQ
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Mediterranean-style braised green beans (called Fasolakia or Fasolakia Lathera) are braised in olive oil with tomatoes and herbs. This recipes also adds potatoes, which makes the dish heartier and creamier.

Green beans: You can use fresh or frozen green beans, but I prefer frozen green beans for this recipe. Defrosted frozen green beans naturally have a soft texture, so they're perfect for a dish like this one that tastes best with soft vegetables. You can use whole green beans or cut beans.

Potatoes: Either Yukon gold or red potatoes work best. I like to peel the potatoes so that the texture is extra creamy.

Tomato paste: Tomato paste adds tomato flavor without chunks of tomato. I like to use tomato paste from a tube so I don't have to open an entire can.

Onion and garlic: Use a white or yellow onion and at least 3 cloves of garlic.

Parsley and oregano: This recipe calls for fresh parsley and dried oregano. You can add fresh dill instead of parsley if you prefer.

Olive oil and broth: The green beans and potatoes braise in a combination of olive oil and broth for rich, silky flavor and texture.

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions

This is an easy recipe, but it's not a super quick one. You'll need about 1 hour, which includes a short amount of prep work and a longer cooking time.

Onion, garlic and tomato paste sauteed in olive oil.

Step 1: Saute onion and garlic with olive oil and tomato paste.

Frozen greens beans in a Dutch oven with tomato-based broth.

Step 2: Add broth, frozen green beans (or fresh) and dried oregano.

Raw potato chunks in a Dutch oven with green beans and broth.

Step 3: Add potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.

Cooked green beans and potatoes in a tomato broth.

Step 4: Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes until green beans and potatoes are meltingly tender.

For detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

What to Serve with Mediterranean Green Beans

The combination of green beans and potatoes is versatile enough to serve with almost anything.

Chicken - try Mediterranean grilled chicken
Pita bread or toasted baguette
Kalamata olives
Feta cheese
Rice - try Instant Pot Basmati rice with chickpeas
Seafood - Any type of white fish, salmon and shrimp all pair well. Try 2-ingredient pan-seared shrimp.
Cucumber yogurt sauce

Recipe FAQ

Can I use fresh green beans?

Yes, you can use fresh green beans instead of frozen green beans. The recipe instructions are the same for both. This recipe just works really well with frozen green beans, which naturally have a soft texture.

Can I serve this as a vegetarian main dish?

Absolutely! The addition of potatoes makes this a satisfying main dish. Consider serving it with pita bread or rice on the side.

Where did this dish originate?

You can find versions of this recipe across the Mediterranean region. This recipe is based on a Greek dish that is called Fasolakia or Fasolakia Lathera, which means braised green beans. This dish can also be called Greek green beans, or Greek-style green beans.

Can I serve Mediterranean green beans at room temperature?

Yes, this dish tastes great hot or at room temperature.

Are green beans part of a Mediterranean diet?

Vegetables are an important part of the Mediterranean diet which includes green beans, potatoes and tomatoes.

Can I use canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes instead of tomato paste?

Yes, if you don't mind chunks of tomato in the dish than you can add a 28-oz can of peeled whole tomatoes instead of tomato paste. If you use canned tomatoes, only add 1 cup of broth.

I haven't tested this recipe using fresh tomatoes, but you could try adding ½ pound of fresh, chopped tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes to the recipe.

Can I use tomato sauce instead of tomato paste?

No, the recipe won't turn out as well. Do not use tomato sauce in place of tomato paste.

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