You might also like these recipes for Lebanese chickpea stew, the Lebanese flatbread Manakish and Greek lima beans. When green beans and tomatoes meet, they make some sort of flavor alchemy happen. Add a few simple herbs and spices and you have the delicious loubieh bi zeit, a Lebanese green bean stew that will make you fall in love. I learned of this dish, which translates from Arabic to “green beans in oil,” from my Armenian friend Margo, who grew up in Lebanon. Margo, like many Middle Eastern cooks, has a knack for putting together vegetables with a few simple ingredients to make delicious-tasting sides that never fail to wow me. For this Loubieh Bi Zeit recipe, I stuck largely with a traditional tomato sauce with garlic, onions and olive oil, but I added a few touches that I thought made it even more delicious: a little oregano, some thyme, allspice and tomato paste (for umami).
Why you will love this recipe
Loubieh bi zeit needs just eight ingredients, and you can add any or all of four other optional ingredients if you want to. It is also a one-pot recipe and needs very little prep if you buy green beans that are already trimmed. If they are not, you will need to take off the tips and any strings. Although they have a distinct Mediterranean origin, these Lebanese green beans are very versatile and can be served as a side with nearly any entree of your choice. You can even make them the main meal with pita bread. If you want to make prep easier, you can leave the beans whole (after trimming), as Lebanese cooks often do. I like the beans bite-sized, so I cut them into 1-inch pieces.
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