Loubieh B Zeit: Lebanese Green Beans with Tomatoes and Olive Oil

Green beans are made two ways in Lebanon. One is a stew with meat and served with rice, the other version is the vegetarian one that is usually consumed in summer or during Lent. It is mainly eaten cold with vegetables like cucumber or onions (any kind you can think of) on the side. I personally like it hot too, rolled in a Lebanese bread or served as a warm salad.

Despite being literally called Green Beans in Oil, this dish relies a lot on the tomatoes for flavoring. The better, riper, and redder tomatoes you got, the better your dish will turn out. Then why Green Beans in Oil? Probably to differentiate it from the version with meat, to tell it is a lenten food. Lebanese don’t go too fancy with names, I know! But the flavor is all that matters, right?

This is a very easy dish to make, it takes minimal preparation and the rest is just waiting. If your tomatoes are not that red or ripe (like mine were) you can add a little tomato paste and water to help with the color and the amount of sauce in the dish.

I used frozen green beans, you can use fresh ones by cutting them in half and removing the tips.

Loubieh B Zeit

Serves 4
Ingredients:
  • 1 lb (1/2 Kg) Green beans cut in half  and tips removed
  • 3 – 4 ripe tomatoes (if not ripe add water  and tomato paste as needed)
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 – 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt, Pepper
Preparation:
  1. Chop the onion and make it sweat in the oil on medium-low heat till translucent.
  2. Add the whole garlic cloves. (You can add them whole if you don’t mind them or crushed if you prefer them that way).
  3. Add the green beans and sauté them till they are bright green.
  4. In the meantime, dice the tomatoes and add them to the pot.
  5. Add the salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil.
  6. If needed add the water and tomato paste and adjust the seasoning.
  7. Cook till the beans are soft and the tomatoes lose their shape and everything becomes a homogenous mixture.
  8. Pour in a bowl and serve warm or cold with Lebanese or Pita bread and a side of cucumbers, onions, radishes or any greens you like.

Loubieh B Zeit is delicious after sitting overnight in the fridge, because the flavors tend to rest and get enhanced.We ate it the next day as a side dish with grilled Steelhead Trout, it turned out to be a really good combination.

Enjoy and have a happy 4th of July if you live in the USA!