Braised Long Beans With Tomatoes, Garlic, and Mint Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated Aug. 29, 2018
20150715-braised-long-beans-vicky-wasik-9.jpg
Long beans braised until incredibly tender. Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Long beans are tougher, sturdier beans that can stand up to prolonged cooking, becoming incredibly tender and flavorful.
  • Crushing the tomatoes by hand produces a texture that's just chunky enough.

If you ask me, people don't overcook their vegetables often enough. The truth is, vegetables can sometimes be absolutely delicious when cooked until there isn't a trace of crispness left. In fact, some vegetables practically require long cooking—like these long beans braised in tomatoes, which are best only after you've cooked them to death.

Recipe Facts

5

(1)

Active: 40 mins
Total: 40 mins
Serves: 4 servings

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Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 medium cloves garlic, sliced

  • Pinch red pepper flakes

  • 1 pound long beans, ends trimmed, beans cut into 5-inch lengths (see note)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes with juices, crushed by hand

  • 2 tablespoons packed chopped fresh mint leaves

Directions

  1. In a large sauté pan, add 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring, until garlic is lightly golden, about 4 minutes.

  2. Add long beans and raise heat to high. Cook, stirring, until beans are bright green and beginning to sear, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. Add tomatoes to pan. Add 1/2 cup water to empty tomato can, swish it around to pick up any extra tomato juices and pulp, and add to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Lower heat to maintain simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beans are very tender throughout and tomato has reduced to a thick sauce, about 30 minutes. Add more water, if necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent tomatoes from scorching during cooking. Stir in mint and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm. Alternatively, chill in refrigerator, then serve chilled or at room temperature, or rewarm before serving.

Notes

You can use regular string beans in place of long beans; if you do, omit the water and braise them just until the string beans are soft and tender, about 15 minutes.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
273 Calories
21g Fat
19g Carbs
5g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 273
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 252mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 47mg 233%
Calcium 79mg 6%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 820mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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