Warm Lebanese Bean Stew

Warm Lebanese Bean Stew

Silky green beans braised low and slow in a glossy tomato sauce, fragrant with warm spice, and finished with a generous pour of olive oil — this is Lebanese loubieh bi zeit at its most comforting. The sauce collapses into the beans, turning deep and jammy, with a richness that feels far greater than its handful of ingredients. Serve it warm or at room temperature with flatbreads to mop the pot clean.

Ingredients
[ ] 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
[ ] 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
[ ] 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
[ ] 1 tbsp tomato purée
[ ] 1–2 tsp Warm Lebanese Baharat Blend (see linked recipe)
[ ] 500 g ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (or one 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes)
[ ] 120 ml water
[ ] 700 g romano or regular green beans, topped, tailed and strings removed
[ ] 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
[ ] ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
[ ] Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to finish

Instructions
[ ] 1. Set a 24–28 cm casserole or deep sauté pan with a lid over a medium-low heat and pour in the olive oil.
[ ] 2. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally.
[ ] 3. When the onion is completely soft, golden at the edges and sweet — about 10–12 minutes — add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute until fragrant but not coloured.
[ ] 4. When the garlic is fragrant, push the onion and garlic to the side of the pan, add the tomato purée to the cleared space, and stir in the Warm Lebanese Baharat Blend.
[ ] 5. Fry the tomato purée and spices together in the oil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, so the spices bloom in the fat before any liquid is added.
[ ] 6. Stir everything together so the spiced purée coats the onion and garlic.
[ ] 7. Add the chopped tomatoes and water, stir well, and raise the heat to medium.
[ ] 8. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down into a thick, cohesive sauce — about 8 minutes.
[ ] 9. When the sauce is thick and cohesive, add the green beans and stir to coat them in the sauce. Season with 1 tsp fine sea salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
[ ] 10. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with the lid, and braise for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the beans are completely silky and have absorbed the flavour of the sauce.
[ ] 11. Note: romano beans are wider and meatier than regular green beans and may need an extra 5–10 minutes of braising to become fully silky — check them at 20 minutes and continue cooking with the lid on if needed.
[ ] 12. When the beans are silky, taste and adjust the seasoning, scatter the chopped parsley over the top, and serve straight from the pan, warm or at room temperature.

https://www.cuisinesavvy.com/recipe/warm-lebanese-bean-stew