This recipe is adapted from The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Nancy Harmon Jenkins. I bought this book many years ago (published 1994) and it sits on a low shelf where I can easily reach it. Though there are many recipes in the book I have yet to try, I have a few favorites, this being one of them.
What’s so special about this recipe? It’s easy to make with only few ingredients that are easily found at your local market. It’s ready in an hour and simply delicious.
I used Dragon Tongue beans that we grew in our garden. I have also used pole beans and yellow wax beans. Romano beans would be a good choice if you can find them.
Sauté the onion until it begins to take on some color with just a few browned bits of onion.
The beans are stirred in with the onion, garlic and olive oil. Tomatoes and seasonings are then added before the beans simmer for 40 minutes.
Though the beans tend to lose their vibrant color after simmering (especially green beans) their flavor is not compromised. In fact the tomatoes, onions, garlic and olive oil provide a luscious sauce that makes this dish so satisfying. It produces a combination which is truly greater than the sum of its parts.
After 35 or 40 minutes you’ll have a pot of gorgeous beans and tomatoes that are perfectly cooked and ready to eat.
One of my favorite ways to serve the beans is with brown or white rice. The rice soaks up all of the delicious tomato-onion sauce which you won’t want to leave behind. I used wax beans in the photo above.
Fresh Beans with Tomatoes & Olive Oil
4
servingsIngredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
1 pound fresh beans (green, yellow wax, Romano, Dragon Tongue) trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths, rinsed in a colander
1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until golden and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Adjust heat to medium-low if onions are browning too quickly. Add chopped garlic, stir for 1 minute.
- Transfer the rinsed beans to the pot (with the water that clings to them) and stir with the olive oil and onion mixture. Add tomatoes, salt and sugar; stir together. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot and simmer the beans for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are thoroughly softened and tomatoes have dissolved into a sauce that naps the beans.
- Remove pot from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning adding more salt if necessary.
Notes
- If you are unable to find good tomatoes at the market the original recipe mentions the option of using canned tomatoes that have been drained and chopped.