Fasolakia (Greek stewed green beans) is a delicious vegetarian/vegan main course or side dish. With only 6 ingredients plus seasonings, this simple dish builds incredible slow-cooked flavor in less than an hour from start to finish.

Closeup of stewed green beans with tomato sauce in a square serving dish.

This recipe for Greek green beans can go by many different names. For starters, while the term Fasolakia is Greek, the term Fasolia is also commonly used by several Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures for dishes made with beans.

More specifically, Fasolakia Lathera in Greek refers to "ones with oil," meaning the beans are cooked in olive oil, preferably good quality extra-virgin olive oil.

Fasolakia giaxni or fasolakia yiahni (its pronunciation) means "cooked in steam." This style of cooking refers to how the green beans steam and essentially stew in the flavorful sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, and of course extra-virgin olive oil.

Unlike more crunchy preparations of green beans (such as sautéed or roasted), these Greek stewed green beans are meant to be velvety tender and soft, but not mushy.

This extremely easy recipe is perfect for when green beans and tomatoes are both fresh and in season (usually in the summer months), but you can make them throughout the year using frozen green beans and canned tomatoes if fresh aren't available.

Ingredient notes

Ingredients for fasolakia Greek green beans on a light grey background.

Green Beans: Use regular green beans (not the thinner French haricot verts variety). Just wash them well and trim off the ends. You can also use frozen green beans if fresh aren't in season.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Use good quality extra-virgin olive oil for this fasolakia lathera recipe. Bonus points if it's Greek!
Tomatoes: My recipe for Tomato Bulgur Pilaf has helpful step-by-step instructions and photos on the best and easiest way to grate your tomatoes for this recipe. If tomatoes aren't in season, you could substitute canned diced or crushed tomatoes. That being said, I haven't tried it myself with canned tomatoes to verify the exact amounts you'll need. You may want to thin canned tomatoes out with a little water since the flavor is more concentrated. Given the option, fresh tomatoes is the way to go.

Stewed green beans in a colorful square dish on a yellow gingham kitchen towel.

How to make it

In a large skillet or medium Dutch oven with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Sautéed chopped onions in a stainless steel pan.

Add the garlic, stir and cook for about 15 to 30 seconds until fragrant, and then stir in the grated tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

A mixture of grated tomatoes and cooked onions in a stainless steel pan.

When the tomatoes start to bubble, add the green beans and stir to coat.

Raw green beans tossed with tomato in a stainless steel pan.

Cover with the lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the beans are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Cooked green beans in a tomato sauce in a stainless steel pan.

If the pan appears dry partway through cooking, add a little water to the pan. Conversely, if the fasolakia has too much liquid at the end of cooking, cook briefly uncovered to evaporate some of it.

Stir in the parsley, taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Expert tips

Serve as a side dish or as a vegetarian main dish with Greek pita bread or crusty bread to soak up the juices. These green beans are great hot, warm, or even at room temperature.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

There are many variations of this simple but flavorful dish, some even including potatoes. I keep mine very straightforward and simple, focusing only on the beans and the intense tomato-onion-garlic sauce. If you'd like to add a couple potatoes, peel and cut them into small pieces (so they cook quickly and evenly) and add them with the green beans.

Greek stewed green beans in a square dish with sliced bread and tomatoes next to it.

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