Green Bean Stew with Baby Potatoes(Vegan and Gluten Free)
This green bean stew is one of my favorite childhood meals. It is a traditional Bulgarian recipe that I grew up eating. I associate this meal with the summer days, when is the peak season of green beans and baby potatoes. This is an easy to prepare stew made with simple and affordable ingredients. It is also vegan, gluten and dairy free.
For me this recipe brings out so many memories. My grandfather had a piece of land where he grew fruits and vegetables. When it was harvesting time, we would go help him. Then he sent us home with bags full of produce. My mom was an expert of using all of that produce in the best way possible. She prepared many vegan and vegetarian dishes out of it and this green bean stew was one of them. Everyone enjoyed having this stew for dinner. It was the coziest, most rewarding meal after a day of hard work. We usually ate it with freshly baked bread and some crumbled feta on top.
Why should you make this green bean stew?
If you love plant based cozy dishes, then this recipe is for you. This is an easy and healthy meal that will nourish your body. This recipe contains six vegetables, and it is vegan. Therefore, it is packed with vitamins, antioxidants and fiber.
Since it doesn’t contain saturated fat, it is considered heart-healthy. If you have a heart problem, consider lowering the salt you add to the stew.
The green bean stew is also naturally gluten free. It doesn’t contain any grains and starches.
Helpful tips about making the stew
An important step is to sauté the onion and carrot first with some salt. Slightly caramelize the onion and soften the carrot with a teaspoon of salt. This releases the water from the vegetables and makes the broth delicious.
Don’t burn the paprika! Once you add the smoked paprika, stir and add the water immediately. The paprika can burn in seconds and cause a bitter taste in your stew. Nobody wants that.
When you add the water increase the heat and bring it to a boil. Add the rest of the vegetables only if the water is boiling. Then reduce the heat to simmer.
You can use fresh or frozen green beans for this stew. I’ve tested the recipe with both, and it works great. The only thing you need to remember is that cooking time might be longer for fresh beans.
I’ve prepared this recipe with other types of potatoes. Russet, white and gold potatoes work for that stew, but you have an extra step of peeling them. I prefer using baby potatoes because they are less starchy, and I can eat them with the skin.
I add the garlic and tomato five minutes before doneness. If you don’t have a fresh tomato, add half cup of canned tomato sauce (without seasoning).
Serve the stew with some chopped fresh dill. I also love to add some crumbled feta on top. That takes the flavor to another level.
Green Bean Stew with Baby Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil I use olive or sunflower oil
- 1 finely chopped onion medium size
- 1 finely chopped carrot medium size
- 2 lbs green beans fresh or frozen
- 1 lb baby potatoes
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 4 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large tomato peeled, grated or finely chopped
- 5 medium sized garlic cloves coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch of fresh dill about half of cup of chopped dill
Instructions
- Start by washing and trimming the ends of the green beans. Then cut them in bite size pieces. Skip this step if you use frozen, pre-cut beans.
- Chop the onion and carrot to small cubes.
- Add two tablespoons of oil in a deep pot. Heat up to medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and carrot to the hot oil. Then add a teaspoon of salt and stir. Cook the vegetables until they are slightly softer and caramelized. (2-3 minutes).
- Add a tablespoon of smoked paprika to the vegetables, stir and pour the water in the pot. Taste for seasoning. If needed add more salt.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. While you wait for the water to boil cut the baby potatoes to half inch rounds.
- Once the water is boiling add the green beans and the potatoes and reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer for 8-10 minutes. Then add chopped garlic and tomato.
- Simmer for 5-7 more minutes and check for doneness. Taste the green beans and potatoes. If they are tender, remove the pot from the heat and add the chopped dill. Stir and serve while it is still warm.
- Store leftover stew in a covered pot in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat before serving.
Other recipes with green beans
French Riviera Salad (My Interpretation of the Niçoise Salad)
Mediterranean Green Bean Casserole (Low Carb and Gluten Free)