This Taze Fasulye recipe is one of those dishes that proves simple ingredients can create something truly extraordinary. Turkish braised green beans slow cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic and a surprising splash of orange juice — this is one of the most beloved zeytinyağlı dishes in Turkish cuisine and once you try it you will completely understand why.
Taze Fasulye is the kind of recipe that Turkish home cooks have been making for generations. It is humble, affordable and deeply satisfying. The orange juice is the secret touch that lifts the whole dish with a subtle sweetness and brightness that makes it completely unique. Eat it warm or cold — both are equally delicious.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 1.5 lb (680g) good quality green beans
- 4 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 medium onions (or 4 small onions), sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (not minced)
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1 lemon, peeled and sliced (skin removed to avoid bitterness)
- 1/4 cup olive oil for cooking
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil for serving
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Baking paper to cover
How to Make This Taze Fasulye Recipe
1. Prep the green beans Trim the ends of the green beans and remove any damaged parts. If any beans are very long cut them in half — you want them at a manageable size for eating but not too small.
2. Peel the tomatoes — the easy way Here is a great trick for peeling tomatoes without boiling water. Take your knife and gently scrape the flat side of the blade all over the surface of the tomato — going against the skin. Do this all around the tomato and the skin will loosen and peel off perfectly with no waste and no fuss. Once peeled chop the tomatoes roughly.
3. Prep the onions and garlic Slice the onions evenly. Thinly slice the garlic — do not mince it. Keeping the garlic in thin slices rather than mincing it keeps the flavor mild and gentle rather than sharp and overpowering, which is exactly what this Taze Fasulye recipe needs.
4. Prep the lemon Peel the lemon completely removing all the white pith and skin, then slice it into rounds. Removing the skin is important — leaving it on makes the dish bitter during the long cooking time.
5. Make the orange juice sauce Squeeze the orange juice into a small bowl or cup. Add the salt and sugar directly to the juice and stir until dissolved. This sweet and bright mixture is the secret touch that makes this Taze Fasulye recipe stand out from any other braised green bean dish.
6. Layer the pan This is the key technique for this dish — layering rather than stirring. In a wide heavy bottomed pot start building your layers:
- Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil as the base
- Layer in half the sliced onions
- Add half the green beans
- Add the rest of the onions
- Scatter the sliced garlic evenly
- Add the rest of the green beans
- Place the chopped tomatoes on top
- Lay the peeled lemon slices on top of everything
7. Add the sauce and cook Pour the orange juice, salt and sugar mixture evenly over the entire pan. Drizzle another generous pour of olive oil over the top. Cut a piece of baking paper to fit inside the pot and press it directly down onto the vegetables — this is called a cartouche and it traps the steam inside, keeping everything moist and cooking the beans evenly without stirring.
Cook on medium-low heat for 50 minutes. Do not stir during cooking — just let everything braise slowly and the layers will do their work.
8. Rest and serve After 50 minutes check that the green beans are completely tender and the tomatoes have broken down into a rich sauce. Turn off the heat and let the dish rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with the remaining fresh olive oil just before serving for a beautiful finish.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Afiyet olsun! 🍽️
Taze Fasulye Recipe (Turkish Green Beans in Olive Oil)
Cuisine: TurkishDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes50
minutesIngredients
1.5 lb (680g) good quality green beans
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions (or 4 small onions), sliced
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (not minced)
Juice of 1 orange
1 lemon, peeled and sliced (skin removed to avoid bitterness)
1/4 cup olive oil for cooking
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil for serving
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Baking paper to cover
Directions
- Prep the green beans Trim the ends of the green beans and remove any damaged parts. If any beans are very long cut them in half — you want them at a manageable size for eating but not too small.
- Peel the tomatoes — the easy way Here is a great trick for peeling tomatoes without boiling water. Take your knife and gently scrape the flat side of the blade all over the surface of the tomato — going against the skin. Do this all around the tomato and the skin will loosen and peel off perfectly with no waste and no fuss. Once peeled chop the tomatoes roughly.
- Prep the onions and garlic Slice the onions evenly. Thinly slice the garlic — do not mince it. Keeping the garlic in thin slices rather than mincing it keeps the flavor mild and gentle rather than sharp and overpowering, which is exactly what this Taze Fasulye recipe needs.
- Prep the lemon Peel the lemon completely removing all the white pith and skin, then slice it into rounds. Removing the skin is important — leaving it on makes the dish bitter during the long cooking time.
- Make the orange juice sauce Squeeze the orange juice into a small bowl or cup. Add the salt and sugar directly to the juice and stir until dissolved. This sweet and bright mixture is the secret touch that makes this Taze Fasulye recipe stand out from any other braised green bean dish.
- Layer the pan This is the key technique for this dish — layering rather than stirring. In a wide heavy bottomed pot start building your layers:
– Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil as the base
– Layer in half the sliced onions
– Add half the green beans
– Add the rest of the onions
– Scatter the sliced garlic evenly
– Add the rest of the green beans
– Place the chopped tomatoes on top
– Lay the peeled lemon slices on top of everything - Add the sauce and cook Pour the orange juice, salt and sugar mixture evenly over the entire pan. Drizzle another generous pour of olive oil over the top. Cut a piece of baking paper to fit inside the pot and press it directly down onto the vegetables — this is called a cartouche and it traps the steam inside, keeping everything moist and cooking the beans evenly without stirring. Cook on medium-low heat for 50 minutes. Do not stir during cooking — just let everything braise slowly and the layers will do their work.
- Rest and serve After 50 minutes check that the green beans are completely tender and the tomatoes have broken down into a rich sauce. Turn off the heat and let the dish rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with the remaining fresh olive oil just before serving for a beautiful finish. Serve warm or at room temperature. Afiyet olsun! 🍽️
Recipe Video
Notes
- Use good quality green beans. Fresh, firm and bright green beans make a huge difference in this dish. Avoid beans that look dull or feel limp — they won’t hold up during the long braising time.
- Don’t mince the garlic. Thinly sliced garlic stays mild and melts into the dish beautifully during cooking. Minced garlic would be too sharp and overpowering for this gentle Taze Fasulye recipe.
- The baking paper is essential. Pressing baking paper directly onto the vegetables traps the steam and creates a gentle, even cooking environment. Don’t skip this step — it is what gives you perfectly tender beans without them falling apart.
- Don’t stir during cooking. The layering technique is intentional. Let the dish cook undisturbed and trust the process — the layers slowly meld together into something wonderful.
- The orange juice is non-negotiable. It might sound unusual but it is the soul of this recipe. The sweetness and brightness it adds is subtle but completely transforms the dish. Don’t substitute with more lemon.
- Serve with plenty of fresh olive oil. A generous drizzle of good quality raw olive oil just before serving is the finishing touch that takes this dish to another level. Don’t be shy with it.
How to Serve Taze Fasulye
Taze Fasulye is traditionally served as part of a Turkish meze spread or as a side dish:
- At room temperature as a classic zeytinyağlı meze
- Cold the next day straight from the fridge — genuinely one of the best ways to eat it
- With crusty bread to soak up the tomato and olive oil sauce
- Alongside white rice and yogurt for a complete meal
- As part of a Turkish meze table with other olive oil dishes
Storage: Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The flavor improves significantly overnight — this is a perfect meal prep dish.
