Green Beans and Tomatoes
Published Aug. 28, 2024

- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2pounds green beans, trimmed
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 2cups tomatoes, peeled and chopped, juices retained
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼teaspoon crushed red pepper
Preparation
- Step 1
Cut green beans into thirds on the diagonal. Set aside.
- Step 2
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil. Add onion and a pinch of salt, and cook until tender, 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, another minute.
- Step 3
Add tomatoes with their juices and the brown sugar, and cook until tomatoes are softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Add the green beans and just barely cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until beans reach desired tenderness, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Step 5
In the pan, toss with Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper and the red pepper. Taste and add salt and pepper as you like. Drain and serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
Take out the brown sugar and you will have the Greek dish Fasolakia. A sliced potato goes well in this dish.
When I began cooking for myself, I was frustrated by how long the beans took to become tender in this favorite Greek dish. I began making a deconstructed version by steaming the beans separately & adding them to the well sautéed aromatic’s & tomatoes. (The acid in the tomatoes binds the proteins in the beans increasing the time for them to become tender). Yes, it took more pans, but got dinner on the table faster.
This is a staple in our house, especially now with beans bearing so heavily, But we sometimes incorporate a hot pepper and flavoring is garlic and lemon juice and wouldn't dream of adding sugar. We eat this almost every night in season.
Loved this! Used 1 tbs of sugar. Don’t forget the Cajun seasoning. Especially smoked paprika. Blanched the beans first.
Baharat spices also work great with this recipe if you're out of Cajun seasoning!
I adapted a recipe for wilted lettuce by sauteing the onion in a little bacon fat, adding the green beans, chopped tomatoes and some new potatoes plus leftover crumbled bacon with chicken broth. It takes about an hour of simmering and adding a little more broth, but when tender I added a tablespoon of brown sugar and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Delicious "pot likker" served in a shallow bowl with some roasted sliced pork tenderloin atop.
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