Turkish Stewed Green Beans

ByMaša Ofei Updated:
Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe· 4.5 from 18 reviews

This Turkish stewed green beans recipe is super easy to prepare. It’s full of flavourful and very nourishing. A one-pot vegetable meal that the whole family will enjoy!

I’ve always loved Turkish food. Mainly the vegetarian dishes like Turkish pizza with potato, mushrooms, or spinach and cheese, Kabak (zucchini puffs), dips, falafels, stews, and my husband Michael used to love their chicken skewers before becoming vegan.

Read more: 19 Vegan Turkish Recipes: Authentic Flavours with a Veggie Twist

The other dish that I’ve always enjoyed is the Turkish green beans stew called Taze Fasulye. It’s excellent with boiled potatoes, bread, rice or on its own (I share more about this later in the post).

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I’ve always been a fan of simple, hearty, tasty dishes—especially traditional dishes from different cultures.

A dish like these stewed Turkish green beans that’s so simple can have so much depth of flavour. I hope you enjoy the simplicity of this meal!

Tips on how to make the best Turkish stewed green beans

Even though this dish is straightforward to make, there are some great tips and suggestions to get the best results:

  • You can use flat green beans (aka Romano beans, Italian green beans), string beans (aka snap beans), or Filet beans (aka French beans, Haricots Verts beans).
  • If you use flat beans, try and use the smaller, younger ones as the larger ones that have the developed beans inside will not work too well for this recipe. If that’s all you have access to, you may need to cook them for longer to soften them.
  • It’s ideal to use fresh beans, however, if frozen is all you have access to, you can use that instead.
  • This dish can be served warm or cold. It’s typically served as a main when warm, and a side when cold.
  • I’ve seen that you can make this dish in a pressure cooker by adding all the ingredients in and cooking for 20 minutes. I don’t have a pressure cooker to test it out, but if you want to give it a go, please let me know how it turns out!
  • I like the beans in this dish slightly overcooked and super soft. If you prefer them to have a firmer texture, cook them for around 5-10 minutes less. This will also vary depending on the age of the beans and the variety you use.
  • The ingredients that are used in this traditional dish can vary from family to family. I’ve seen the addition of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. If you like the sound of those spices in the dish, give it a try!
  • Like it hot? Add some chillies or cayenne pepper to the dish.

What to serve with Turkish green beans

I love how vegetables can easily be a main dish. Here are a few suggestions of what to serve alongside these beans:

  • Sourdough bread (or handmade bread of choice)
  • White or brown rice
  • Quinoa
  • Millet
  • Bulgur

Other vegetables you can add to this dish

  • Potatoes
  • Eggplants (aubergines)
  • Red bell peppers
  • Zucchinis (courgettes)
  • Peas (fresh or frozen)

If cooking with any of these vegetables, please add them at the right time to the dish.

For the potatoes, eggplant, and red bell peppers, add them at the same time as the green beans.

If adding the zucchini or peas, they should be added around 15 minutes into the green beans cooking time.

Braised green beans in a tomato sauce with all the flavour

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the simplicity of this dish means there’s not enough flavour. Trust me, with this handful of ingredients and the proper preparation, you can make a fantastic meal.

Even though I’ve suggested many accompanying carbs and other vegetables to go with this dish, the beans are great also on their own.

Can the green beans be frozen?

They make the perfect leftover meal and freeze well. If you plan to freeze them, I suggest not cooking them until they are super soft, like mine.

When you’re ready to eat them, thaw them out on the counter for a few hours or overnight in your refrigerator. Add them to the pot and gently simmer them until they’re warmed up.

Alternatively, you can do this in your microwave.

Just keep in mind that they will be softer and have a more watery texture when thawed out.

Other recipes you’ll love:

  1. Vegan Cabbage Rolls in Tomato Sauce
  2. Rustic Eggplant Patties in Tomato Sauce
  3. Vegan Falafel Wrap
  4. Turkish-Style Shredded Tofu Wraps
  5. Dalmatian-Style Stuffed Artichokes
  6. Gluten-Free Tabbouleh with Quinoa and Pomegranate
  7. Turkish Pea Stew

If you try this recipe, let me know! We’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram or share your photo of the recipe on Pinterest. 

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Turkish Stewed Green Beans

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4.5 from 18 reviews

  • Author: Maša Ofei
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 3
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Description

Enjoy this classic, yet simple Turkish stewed green beans recipe that’s packed with flavour. It’s the perfect companion with a side of rice or bread served as a main warm or on its own as a cold side dish.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup / 60ml olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 500g / 1.1 pounds fresh green beans, trim top and bottom
  • 1 can / 400g diced tomatoes (or 3 large fresh tomatoes, diced)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sugar* (optional)
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons lemon juice, (optional)
  • Pepper, to taste
  • Fresh parsley, (optional as garnish)

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot on medium-high heat and add in the onion. Saute until lightly brown.
  2. Add in the beans and cook until they slightly change colour. This will take approximately 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Reduce heat to medium, adding in the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic (and sugar if using), and cook for a further 10 minutes.
  4. Add in 1 cup / 250ml boiled water, salt and stir well to combine.
  5. Cover the pot and cook on low-medium heat until the beans are soft. You may need to add more water as it keeps cooking. Check on it and stir every 8-10 minutes. This should take 40-45 minutes.
  6. Finish off with lemon juice, freshly cracked pepper and parsley.
  7. Serve hot with rice, potatoes or bread or as a side dish cold.

Notes

Sugar: If in the US, make sure that it’s organic as otherwise, it’s not vegan. They use bone char to process it. 

This recipe was originally posted in January 2016, and updated in September 2021. 

  • Diet: Vegan

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19 Comments

  1. I absolutely love greek and turkish food and have been eating and learning to creat them from scratch. The pea stew, potato pea stew and french bean are up amonst my favourites. Thanks for helping me learn.

    I lived in Slovenia near Kran for half a yr in 2019 it’s such a lovely place!

    Its fantastic that all you have the more traditional recipes of even more simpler every day dishes but just as tasty and made vegan too! 😋



    Reply

    1. So glad you like them, Rachael! Thanks for your lovely comment and review 🙂 What took you to Slovenia for 6 months?

      Reply

  2. I can’t believe I cooked something so delicious! There are a lot of Turkish restaurants in my neighborhood and these came out every bit as delicious! Now can make my own and control how much oil I want to put in too. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I look forward to trying more from your website!



    Reply

  3. This is one of my favorites Turkish dishes.
    Being married to a Turkish man, my mother in law has been cooking me this meal for 20 years.. I always get first servings. She makes me this meal well in advance and makes sure her freezer is always stocked full with it… I cook all my own Turkish food here in the UK and they always turn out amazing. My mother in law is amazed that an English girl can cook better than some Turkish ladies! Tried making this bean meal plenty of times but can never get it anywhere near how she make it but this comes in very very close.
    Thank you very much for sharing this recipe..
    Will surprise my mother in law and make it for her when I visit next time..

    Reply

    1. Thank you for your comment, Jill! I’m glad to hear that you’re happy to serve this dish to your mother-in-law and that it comes very close to hers. It means a lot. Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? Star ratings really help us and readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks again! 😊

      Reply

  4. Hello MV!

    I first ate this dish (or similar) almost 49 years ago whilst staying in Bebek. My husband-to-be’s mother made it and I absolutely loved it. I fell in love with all Turkish food especially Imam Bayildi. So tonight I am using your recipe and looking forward to a wonderful yummy supper!
    Best wishes.
    Caroline

    Reply

    1. Hi Caroline, thank you for sharing! I, too, love Turkish food. It’s so flavourful and fresh. I hope this dish takes you back to that time and that you enjoy it. I’d love it if you left a review when you’ve had the chance to try it. It would be great to hear what you thought 🙂

      Reply

  5. I had first eaten the beans in Pamakkule, which was made at home by a Grandmother. I was impressed by her cooking and the beans. I came back to Mumbai and tried making it but something was missing. Your recipe is great and I am making your recipe for the second time. Just adding the Turkish red masala I don’t remember the name and Turkish dried mint. It’s my favourite dish. Thanks for sharing your recipe.



    Reply

  6. Love this recipe! I made a few changes, though. Aside from leaving out the coconut sugar, I used vegetable broth instead of water. And, I used Tat hot pepper paste instead of tomato paste to give this simple dish a bit more spice. I added an extra dash of cayenne pepper and sliced red bell peppers as well!

    S.

    Reply

    1. I’m so sorry I’m only seeing your comment now! Thanks so much for sharing, sounds delicious – especially the addition of the red bell peppers! Glad to see that you enjoyed it 🙂

      Reply

  7. It honestly tasted just like I remembered it, when I ate it in Turkey a couple years ago. It was absolutely delicious! I added some lemon juice too, and some pomegranate syrup.



    Reply

  8. I became a fan of you guys since last week when I first noticed your website and start reading your article that was about “an argument for wearing the same cloth everyday” and dug more deep into your website. Than I found your recipe about our “taze fasulye”… My friends are pushing me to leave the office now and head to celebrate the new year eve… Therefore, I have to keep it short 🙂 Happy New Year!

    Reply

  9. Merhaba! Stumbled across this & wanted to mention that fasulye just means beans! Taze fasulye is green beans in particular 🙂 Also in my family we typically add some whole allspice. Personally I enjoy a bit of fresh lemon when it is almost done cooking. Afiyet olsun ❤

    Reply