This low-fat, wholesome, and flavorful Lebanese Stewed Green Beans and Potatoes is a WFPB nod to the classic Lebanese loubieh bi zeit (green beans in oil) dish. Aromatic spices, zesty onions, earthy garlic, tasty green beans, sweet tomatoes, hearty potatoes, and so much more create the most delicious stew that fills the whole house with amazing goodness. It is traditionally served over fluffy rice and oh-so-delicious! Instant Pot and Stove Top instructions make it easy and versatile.
Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.
Hi there, Ameera here!
This recipe is inspired by my husband’s Lebanese family. It is a nod to the Lebanese cuisine. This dish is traditionally made with green beans, olive oil, and tomatoes.
Loubieh bi zeit is one of the first authentic Lebanese dishes that I tried. My father-in-law made it for me, and I thought it was utterly delicious.
WFPB Nod
I loved it so much that I thought I would try to convert it over to Whole Food Plant Based, which I found to be challenging since olive oil is a major component of the traditional dish. Our WFPB version is definitely a dish inspired by loubieh bi zeit, and we are aware it is not the traditional 😉
Removing the olive oil made the dish acidic so we needed to find a way to balance the acidity without sacrificing the yummy tomato flavor.
Using a tiny bit of baking soda to neutralize the acidity from the tomatoes worked perfectly. You still retain all that tomato goodness without having to douse the dish with other ingredients to remove the acidity.
Adding Potatoes
My father-in-law sometimes adds small diced potatoes to his version; and we are a potato loving family so Mom and I decided to add potatoes to this dish. Of course, adding potatoes is not traditional, but it really added something extra to the dish!
Instant Pot VS Stove Top
You can make this dish on the stove top or using an Instant Pot. We LOVE our Instant Pot so of course, we gave it a whirl. We just loved how the Instant Pot started to break down the potatoes a tiny bit. It made the stew very hearty and delicious!
We loved this recipe! It is so tasty and delicious!
I’ll let Mom tell you more.
Hi! Robin here!
This recipe was all Monkey! I have never had loubieh bi zeit, so I didn’t have a frame of reference, but let me tell you, you don’t want to miss this tastiness! It is sooooo good!
We would love for you to give this recipe a try!
If you try this comforting dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
Products Used:
- Ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven, nonstick deep skillet, or similar large stock pot with a tight-fitting lid
Lebanese Stewed Green Beans and Potatoes
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 24 Minutes
- Total Time: 34 Minutes (+8 Minutes Rest)
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot/Stovetop
- Cuisine: Lebanese
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This low-fat, wholesome, and flavorful Lebanese Stewed Green Beans and Potatoes is a WFPB nod to the classic Lebanese Loubieh bi Zeit dish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow onion, small dice
- 1 carrot, julienne slice
- 2 celery ribs, small dice
- 2 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1– [ 14 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth *
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon baking soda *
- 1 lb. green beans *
- 4 cups potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 ½ -inch cubes *
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin (+/-)
- ¼ teaspoon coriander (+/-)
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (+/-)
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice (+/-)
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (+/-)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
Other Optional Ingredients:
- Chopped parsley
- Steamed Rice
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- Using the Instant Pot Sauté mode feature, add the diced onions, carrots, and celery. sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes to soften the veggies, then add the finely minced garlic and tomato paste, sauté over medium heat for one minute. Then add the Spice/Herb Ingredients, sauté for one minute just to allow the spices to release their fragrance.
- Then add all the remaining ingredients except the green beans, potatoes, and baking soda. Stir really well, add the baking soda. Add the green beans and potatoes, push them down into the liquid as much as you can.
- Turn off the Sauté Secure the lid on the Instant Pot; set the vent to Close/Sealing position. Set to Manual Pressure for 14 minutes. After 14 minutes, allow a Natural Release for 4 minutes, after 4 minutes, do a Quick Release. Be careful to cover the vent with a tea towel to prevent burns. When the valve drops, then select Cancel and carefully remove the lid away from you.
- Taste test the flavors, ramp up any spices if needed to reach the desired flavor.
- Remove the bay leaf. Serve with rice and freshly chopped parsley.
Stove Top Instructions:
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- In a large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven/pot (or similarly large stockpot) add the diced onions, carrot, and celery, sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes to soften the veggies, then add the finely minced garlic and tomato paste, sauté over medium heat for one minute. Then add the Spice/Herb Ingredients, sauté for one minute just to allow the spices to release their fragrance.
- Then add all the remaining ingredients except the green beans, potatoes, and baking soda. Stir really well, then increase the heat to a boil, add the baking soda, then immediately lower to a low simmering boil. Add the green beans and potatoes, push them down into the liquid as much as you can. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the green beans and potatoes reach the desired tenderness.
- Taste test the flavors, ramp up any spices if needed to reach the desired flavor.
- Remove the bay leaf. Serve with rice and freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
Tips for Success:
- Veggies: Push the potatoes and green beans down into the liquid as much as you can. The potatoes are the priority as they need the liquid become tender. Don’t worry if some of the green beans are not fully submerged in the liquid.
- Stew Consistency: The potatoes start to break down a bit which will add starch to the broth and thicken it to a stew-like consistency. Stove Top: If you elect to cook the potatoes just until tender, then the stew broth will not be as thick. If you do not wish for a thick, hearty stew, reduce the Instant Pot times or consider cooking on the stove top. This dish is designed to have potatoes which have started to break down and very tender beans. If neither of those appeal to you, then this recipe is not for you.
- Spices Instant Pot: This dish is lightly spiced. It has great flavor, but the spices are on the lighter side. That was done by design. Feel free to ramp up the spices as desired. If you use an Instant Pot, make sure you wait to taste test at the end, as the Instant Pot super heats foods which will initially mask the natural flavors. We suggest using the recipe spice amounts, then wait to taste test as the stew starts to cool and the flavor continue to develop. If you decide to add more seasoning, the heat will cook the spices. If you wish, you can use the Sauté feature and cook the stew a little longer if you wish. We have found that the heat of the food cooks spices without having to use the Sauté feature.
- Stove Top Method: Keep in mind that the acidity from tomato-based sauces/stews tend to take longer to cook veggies like potatoes and green beans. The acidity makes it harder for liquids to penetrate the cellular wall so it will take longer to cook the potatoes and green beans. Unlike an Instant Pot which uses pressure to force open the cellular walls of potatoes/green beans which takes significantly less time to cook. The baking soda helps neutralize some of the acidity.
*Notes Continued:
*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
*Baking Soda: The baking soda performs a dual purpose. It helps soften the cell wall of the green beans, so they can soften a little, then it also helps neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes.
*Green Beans: You can use fresh green beans, canned or frozen. We used fresh green beans. Traditionally, the green beans are very tender in this dish. If you don’t like really tender green beans, then we suggest using the stove top method (not Instant Pot) and adding them toward the end. You can also use Italian broad beans in this dish.
*Potatoes: We used Russet Potatoes in this recipe. The end weight after peeling was approx. 1 lb.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: 4
*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 5 days.
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No idea what this is “supposed” to taste like – but it was incredible: hearty, comforting, & a meal all by itself — no rice needed! I usually never leave a comment, but I’m learning so much, thank you. (Definitely having the acidity issues w/ WFPB, so am *really excited* to use my new baking soda trick ?).
Hi there JayD 🙂
Yaaaay!!! We are thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, and we’re glad that you are learning so much and you like the baking soda trick too! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful feedback with us! We truly appreciate you taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight. I used white potatoes so I left the skins on. Very tasty! I love stewed green bean dishes. 🙂
Hi there 🙂
Yippee!!! We are so excited that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome feedback with us. We appreciate you taking the time to write!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
I made this recipe today and my family liked it a lot. Great taste and tender beans.
I’ve got my first instant pot last week so I’m very new to it. I’ve a question about this dish and also about your cauliflower potato curry recipe I made last Sunday. Both dishes looked more like a soup due to the amount of liquid. I expected both dishes to be more thicker. I stuck to the measurements as stated in the recipe. Did I do something wrong?
Ingrid
from the Netherlands
Hi there Ingrid, We are happy that your family enjoyed this recipe. This dish only has two cups of liquid and is more of a watery, juicy based. If you look closely at the photos, you will see the juice coming out on the sides. As far as the cauliflower potato curry, this recipe is definitely thicker. What brand and type of coconut milk did you use? Coconut milk from the can is thick, couple that with the potatoes giving off starches, it should be thicker. Not sure what happened as we have never had that happen with the curry… Read more »
Thanks for your reply! I used a Dutch brand of coconut milk. Next time I will use coconut milk from a can to see if it makes a difference.
just made this dish it was delicious
Hi there Carrie,
YAYYYY!!! We are thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much!
-Ameera and Robin