26 Aug Tomatoey Green Beans with Giant Couscous
PrintTomatoey Green Beans with Giant Couscous
This dish is loosely inspired by fasolakia, a Greek dish made of tender green beans, stewed with tomatoes, garlic and lots and lots of extra-virgin olive oil, among other things. I like my green beans on the crisper side, so instead of braising them, I’ve cooked them until just tender and finished them in a very flavourful fresh tomato sauce. Served over giant couscous and topped with lots of parmesan, it makes for a very delicious veggie dish.
Feel free to substitute the giant couscous for pasta, rice, potatoes or even bread – the tomatoey green beans pair beautifully with them all.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 300g green beans, trimmed
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp double concentrated tomato purée
- 200g cherry or baby plum tomatoes
- 75ml water
- 300g giant couscous
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 30g parmigiano reggiano, grated (or more, to your liking)
Instructions
- Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until just tender, then drain.
- Place a handful of ice cubes into a large bowl and top with water, then tansfer the green beans to the ice bath – this will help retain their colour and stop them from overcooking.
- Heat a generous splash of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium sauté pan set over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened but not browned.
- Add the garlic and dried oregano and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute, then add the double concentrated tomato purée and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, or until it begins to darken.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat in the tomatoey oil. Add the water, cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to burst.
- Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush half of the tomatoes to help create a sauce, then cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until a chunky, thickened sauce forms, around 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil the giant couscous according to the package instructions then drain. Season with salt and pepper and toss with a splash of extra-virgin olive oil, to prevent it getting sticky.
- Add the green beans to the sauce, toss to coat and cover. Cook for a final 5 minutes, then remove the saucepan from the heat and stir through the fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- To assemble, pile the giant couscous onto a large plate and top with the green beans. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and lots of grated parmesan, then serve and enjoy.
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