This simple and flavorful vegan recipe for these Italian Style Green Beans with Tomatoes will provide you with the perfect side dish throughout the year.
4-5medium fresh tomatoesblanched and chopped OR 1 14-ounce can Italian peeled and crushed tomatoes
1-2sprigs of fresh basilchopped
1-2sprigs of fresh parsleychopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Wash and trim the ends of the green beans. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 4-5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Make sure to give it a few stirs.
Add the red pepper flakes (if using) and the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to obtain a vigorous simmer.
Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.
In the meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Cook the beans for about 5 minutes. Beans should still be crisp.
Drain and add to simmering tomatoes.
Simmer, uncovered, until beans become tender but still firm (not mushy). If the sauce appears dry, add some water.
Add the herbs during the last few minutes of cooking.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
How to Trim Green Beans: Simply line up all the beans, so that the part that was attached to the plant are placed together. With a sharp knife, simply cut. Note that the bottom of the string bean is a lot more tender and does not need to be removed.
Cooking times will vary so taste and taste again. There are over 130 varieties of green beans so use the cooking times outlined in this recipe as a guideline in order to cook green beans to the perfect tenderness.
Can I use frozen or canned beans? Yes, cooking times will need to be adjusted. Always rinse the canned beans before using due to high sodium content.What are the best fresh tomatoes to use? Garden fresh Roma or San Marzano tomatoes will usually produce the best results.Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.