If you are looking for a tasty and different idea to cook green beans, the Mediterranean green beans recipe is the perfect solution! With the arrival of spring, fresh green beans return to the kitchen, and this dish is a delicious way to enhance them at their best. To alternate with classic preparations – such as green bean salad, gratinated green beans, or stewed green beans – Mediterranean green beans stand out for their intense flavor and simplicity of preparation. In this recipe, the green beans are first blanched and then sautéed in a pan with cherry tomatoes, olives, and feta, for a decisive and enveloping flavor mix. Perfect as a vegetarian main dish, but also excellent served as an original appetizer or as a topping for a pasta dish, Mediterranean green beans win everyone over at first bite. The feta added at the end of cooking melts slightly, providing creaminess and making the dish even more irresistible… guaranteed to be scoop-worthy! Easy, quick, and full of flavor, Mediterranean green beans are the ideal choice for those who want to bring something simple but surprising to the table. A genuine dish that pleases everyone with its full and satisfying flavor.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
- Energy 247.04 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 27.23 (g) of which sugars 8.04 (g)
- Proteins 7.58 (g)
- Fat 13.57 (g) of which saturated 4.59 (g)of which unsaturated 2.13 (g)
- Fibers 6.54 (g)
- Sodium 487.14 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 227 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the green beans with feta and olives
The doses are intended for a main dish for 4 people. If you want to serve the green beans as an appetizer, I recommend halving the doses.
- 21 oz green beans
- 10.5 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 oz Greek black olives (pitted)
- 3.5 oz feta
- 1 pinch oregano
- A few leaves basil
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan wide with lid
How to prepare green beans with feta and olives
To prepare Mediterranean green beans, start by cleaning the green beans: remove the ends (1), then rinse them thoroughly under running water. Boil them in unsalted water for about 10 minutes, draining them when they are tender but not mushy. A little trick to stop the cooking and preserve their bright green color is to immediately plunge them into ice water (2). Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half (3).
In a wide pan lightly sauté the garlic clove in the oil (4). Then add the cherry tomatoes, a pinch of salt (very little, as feta is already savory), and a pinch of oregano (5), and let them cook over medium heat with the pan covered for about ten minutes, until they form a bit of sauce (6).
At this point, add the green beans and pitted olives (7) and continue cooking with the pan covered for 5-6 minutes (8), stirring occasionally so that the green beans absorb some of the sauce (9). Remove the garlic.
Meanwhile, cut the feta into cubes (10). Add it at the end of cooking to the green beans, also adding a few torn basil leaves (11). Replace the lid and continue cooking over low heat for a minute or two, just long enough for the feta to start melting and blending with the rest of the sauce (12).
Serve the Mediterranean green beans hot, accompanied by a slice of toasted bread. If you want to use them as a pasta topping, follow the same procedure, but cut the green beans in half after boiling them: this will make it easier to enjoy them with the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente in the shape you prefer – I recommend something short, like farfalle, fusilli, or penne – and briefly sauté it in the pan right when you add the feta.
Storage
Mediterranean green beans can be stored in the refrigerator, in a glass container, for a couple of days. They can then be briefly reheated in the microwave or in a pan.
Tips and Variations
The cooking time for green beans varies greatly depending on their thickness: keep in mind that they will be sautéed in a pan, so it’s important to boil them al dente. Instead of garlic, you can use a piece of red onion: slice it thinly and gently stew it in the oil before adding the cherry tomatoes. Instead of Greek olives, you can use Gaeta or Taggiasca olives.
