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–+ servings
Greek beans and potatoes.

Fasolakia Greek Green Beans and Potatoes

Harriet
Hearty and healthy Fasolakia is a Greek green bean and potato dish that is easy to make and can be served hot or cold.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Mains, Sides
Cuisine Greek
Servings 4 as a main meal
Calories 194 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 200 grams ((7 ounces, 1 large) onion, diced
  • 3 - 6 garlic cloves minced or finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 x 400 gram (14 ounces) canned diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon sugar optional
  • 250 grams (½ pound) potatoes scrubbed and cut into pieces no bigger than 5 cm (2 inches)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 – 1 ½ cups water the amount required will vary see recipe for details
  • 500 grams (1 pound) green beans fresh or frozen, trimmed cut into 4 cm (⅕ inch) pieces
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh lemon juice to taste

Garnish

  • Feta cheese
  • Chopped parsley

Instructions
 

  • Add olive oil to a pan and saute the onion over low/medium heat until soft, then add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
  • Add the tomato paste, stir and cook for about 1 minute. Doing this will enhance the tomato flavor in this dish and help to create a thick and rich tomato sauce.
  • Add the canned tomato, potatoes, sugar, cumin powder, oregano, bay leaf, and ½ cup water.
    Push the potatoes into the liquid, turn up the heat, bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat to a simmer, and cook the potatoes until almost done - about 10 - 15 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes.
    Stir the mixture from time to time to prevent sticking, and if it looks like it is becoming too dry, add a little more water.
  • When the potatoes are more than half-cooked, add the green beans arranging them in an even layer over the top of the potatoes, but don't stir them in just yet.
    Pour in about 1 cup of water (or more), so the water sits just below the top of the beans, then stir the mixture.
    Cover the pot with the lid and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Or until the beans and potatoes are tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.
  • Remove from the heat, mix in half of the parsley, season with salt and pepper, and add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. 
  • Serve warm or at room temperature with crumbled feta cheese, chopped parsley, and crusty bread.

Notes

For quicker cooking
If you have big chunky potato pieces, they will take longer to cook than smaller pieces. 
So cut the potatoes into even-sized cubes about 1 cm - 2.5 cm ( ½ - 1 inch) thick to shorten the cooking time.
Potatoe skin on or off?
The potatoes can be peeled or have the skin left on. If using unpeeled, give the potatoes a good scrub under cold tap water before cutting them into small pieces.
Trim fresh beans
Top and tail the fresh beans - use a small sharp knife to cut the top and bottom ends from the beans and wash well in cool tap water.
Frozen beans
If using frozen green beans for this recipe, cook the potatoes a little longer until they are almost tender before adding the beans. 
This is because frozen beans are already partially cooked due to blanching and require a shorter cooking time.
Watery Sauce
If at the end of cooking time the sauce has not thickened. Cook uncovered over medium heat for a few minutes to allow the liquid to evaporate and become thick.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving of 4Calories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 79mgPotassium: 731mgFiber: 7gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1013IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 3mg
Keyword greek style green beans
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