Mediterranean Green Beans (Zeytinyagli Fasulye)

Dr. Ozben's favorite childhood summer food. It is a popular plant-based dish that is cooked quite often in most Turkish homes during the summer.

Ingredients

• 1 kg Fresh Green Beans (flat)

• 2 onions

• 2 large beef tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin oil

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• salt & pepper

1. Prepare the beans by snapping off the stem ends and cutting them in halves. 

2. Place a Dutch oven or heavy-based pan on low heat, add olive oil, and gently cook the onions

3. Turn the heat up to medium then add the beans, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and water (if using). 

4. You won't need to add water if you are using juicy ripen tomatoes.

5. Bring the pan to a boil, lower the heat, and gently simmer for an hour or until the beans are soft.

6. Leave it to cool down for 15-20 minutes before serving. Place in a serving dish. Drizzle a good amount of extra virgin oil on top. Add parsley or basil leaves if you would like. Serve warm or cold.

P.S. Some may prefer to add a few pieces of garlic with onion and some recipes added a teaspoon of sugar.