Loubieh b-Zeit
Loubieh b-zeit is a staple recipe in the Lebanese home cooking repertoire. Loubieh b-zeit means literally green beans in olive oil. The “in olive oil” is often added to recipe names to differentiate them from their “with meat” version (closer to a stew consistency often served with rice). Today’s recipe is green, healthy and vegan!
A simple ingredient list with straight forward directions.The green beans are cooked with onions, garlic and some tomatoes. I season it with salt, a pinch of ground allspice and a magical hint of powdered ginger. It does marvels.
I do not add water nor tomato paste. If you cover the pot while cooking, the cooking liquid from the ingredients is enough… Versions may vary of course but coming from a girl who refused to eat this dish when growing up, trust me: this edition is good. Really good!
The Lebanese original dish calls for “loubieh bedriyeh”. I never found the equivalent here in Miami. The closest variety is “pole beans” always in the freezer section and sometimes in the fresh produce aisle or at the farmers market on lucky days.
The recipe will be great with pole beans or regular green beans. I have tried both and all versions are delicious.
This dish can be served at room temperature or cold.
For non-vegan diets: Add some Feta cheese on top… like I do.
Sahtein! (Bon appétit)
Green Beans with Olive Oil
Recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 big onion, chopped (2 cups approx.)
1 big tomato, peeled and chopped (1 cup approx.)
2 lb (1 kg) pole beans, cleaned, ends trimmed and cut in half
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt
A pinch of ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
2 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil to finish
Directions
Prep all the ingredients.
You will need one medium pot with a lid.
Heat 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a medium pot, add the chopped onions, some salt and cook until translucent.
Add beans, tomatoes and garlic. Mix well. Cover and let the beans and tomatoes release their juices over medium heat (10 to 15 minutes). Season with a pinch of ground allspice and 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger. Mix again. Cover and let it cook over medium-low heat until the beans are cooked through. (Depending of the green bean variety the cooking time may vary,… my advice is to check every 20 minutes. They should still have a light bite but not be crunchy.)
Taste and correct seasoning.
Remove the pot from the heat. Drizzle two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Mix gently and transfer the pot content to a serving dish.
Serve at room temperature or cold with Pita Bread.
Add some Feta cheese if you’re like me and think Feta is always a good idea ;)
