Fasulye – Turkish green beans and tomatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients

olive oil, generous
1 onion, thinly sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
several ripe juicy tomatoes (peeling optional), or 1 can tinned tomatoes
300gm green beans (or more), tops pinched off
salt, freshly ground pepper and chilli flakes (if you like the heat)

Summary

Cooking green beans in a traditional Turkish way is one of our favourite go-to recipes at this time of year. There’s always fresh beans and a few tomatoes lying around that need cooking, so it’s both convenient and nourishing. Although it takes a little while to simmer, it is otherwise so easy, warming and deeply flavourful. Enjoy!

 

Fasulye – Turkish green beans and tomatoes

Cover the bottom of a medium pot with some olive oil, add the onion and saute over medium heat for about 7 mins until the onion is soft and translucent. 

Add the garlic and saute for a further two minutes until softened and fragrant, then add in the tomatoes, stirring to combine. 

We snap longer beans in half as we go, but you could chop them up into bite-size chunks or keep them whole if you prefer. Add half a cup of water or stock, season well with salt, pepper and perhaps some chilli flakes, and let it simmer for about an hour. Stir a little as it cooks, and when the beans are beautifully tender, you’re done.

Serve with rice, baked potatoes, fresh bread, quinoa – fasulye makes friends with all the carbs and grains.

This recipe can easily be made in bulk to feed a big table, or just make a little for yourself with a bag of green beans – it will keep in the fridge for a few days of meals. Never fails.