If you’re 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 stage, and this dish is a tasty way to enhance them to the fullest. To alternate with classic preparations – like 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 mix of bold and enveloping flavors. Perfect as a vegetarian main course, but also great served as an original appetizer or as a topping for a pasta dish, Mediterranean green beans win everyone over at the first bite. The feta added at the end of cooking melts slightly, giving creaminess and making the dish even more irresistible… guaranteed to be mopped up! Easy, fast, and full of taste, Mediterranean green beans are the ideal choice for those who want to bring something simple but surprising to the table. A genuine dish, which pleases everyone with its full and satisfying flavor.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- 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 pan green beans with feta and olives
The quantities are intended for a main course for 4 people. If you want to serve 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 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan large with lid
How to prepare pan 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 boiling water for about 10 minutes, draining them when they are tender but not mushy. A little trick to stop the cooking of the green beans and preserve their bright green color is to immerse them immediately in ice water (2). Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half (3).
In a large pan lightly fry the garlic clove in the oil (4). Then add the cherry tomatoes, a pinch of salt (very little, the feta is already salty) and a pinch of oregano (5) and let them cook over medium heat with the pan covered for about ten minutes, until they have formed a bit of sauce (6).
At this point, add the green beans and the 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 to the green beans at the end of cooking, also adding a few broken basil leaves (11). Put the lid back on and continue cooking over low heat for a minute or two, just enough time 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 instead you want to use them as a pasta topping, follow the same procedure, but cut the green beans in half after boiling them: this way it will be easier to enjoy them with the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente in the format you prefer – I recommend something short, like farfalle, fusilli or penne – and briefly sauté it in the pan just as you add the feta.
Storage
The 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 of green beans varies greatly depending on their thickness: keep in mind that they will be sautéed in the pan, so it is important to boil them al dente. Instead of garlic, you can use a piece of red onion: slice it thinly and stew it gently in the oil before adding the cherry tomatoes. Instead of Greek olives, you can use Gaeta or Taggiasca olives.
