Levantine cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Loubieh bi Zeit

Green beans braised in olive oil with tomatoes and plenty of garlic – a poem served cold or lukewarm.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 600 g green beans
• 4 tomatoes
• 2 onions
• 6 garlic cloves
• 100 ml olive oil
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 pinch sugar
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Trim the beans and cut into 5 cm pieces; dice the tomatoes.
2. Slowly sauté the onions, cut into half-rings, in the olive oil until soft; halve the whole garlic cloves and braise them along.
3. Add the beans and fry along for 5 min, until they turn bright green.
4. Add the tomatoes, allspice, sugar, salt and pepper, and pour in a splash of water.
5. Cover and braise gently for 25–30 min, until the beans are completely tender – here soft is correct, al dente would be wrong.
6. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature with flatbread; be sure to mop up the fragrant oil.