Fasolakia Lathera (Greek Romano Beans)

Fasolakia is a hearty and heart-healthy Greek vegetarian dish, made traditionally with Romano beans. They’re braised alongside tomatoes, potatoes, and plenty of olive oil, and great for those summer and fall months when Romano beans are in season. 

How to make fasolakia lathera (Greek green beans) 

What is fasolakia lathera (Greek Romano beans)? 

Fasolakia means “green beans” and lathera means “in oil” so together it literally translates to green beans in oil. 

Lathera is a common cooking style in Greece, where vegetables are braised in lots of hearty olive oil. Fasolakia is similar to Arakas Latheros (Greek peas), where the veggies are braised alongside tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots. 

Traditionally, fasolakia is made using Romano beans, but as Romano beans aren’t in season all year round, green beans can easily be substituted. It’s very simple to make and serves as a satisfying and delicious main dish!

What’s in fasolakia? 

Fasolakia lathera includes Romano beans, and is braised with tomatoes and potatoes for extra heartiness: 

• Romano beans (or substitute with green beans)
• Onion and garlic
• Fresh tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
• Yellow potatoes
• Parsley
• Olive oil
• Spices: oregano and bay leaves
• Optional: feta cheese 

What to eat with fasolakia

Fasolakia is delicious on its own as a main dish! Since it tends to have lots of delicious sauce, you can sop it up with homemade bread. You can also serve it as a side alongside: 

• Baba ganoush
• Gemista (Greek stuffed tomatoes)
• Meatballs (keftedes)
• Zucchini fritters (kolokithokeftedes)
• Feta cheese
• Baked potatoes
• Homemade pita or bread 
• Barley rusks (paximadia)

Fasolakia Lathera (Greek Romano Beans)

Fasolakia is a heart-healthy Greek vegetarian dish, made from Romano beans. It’s braised alongside tomatoes, potatoes, and plenty of olive oil, and great for summer and fall months.

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 15 mins

Total Time 1 hr 35 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek

Servings 6 people

Calories 271 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 2 lbs Romano beans, ends trimmed
• 4 small yellow potatoes, washed and cut into quarters
• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 medium carrots, sliced diagonally
• 2 large tomatoes, diced or one 14-oz can diced tomatoes
• 2-3 cups water (enough to almost cover beans)
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 6-8 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp salt
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: lemon wedges to serve with

Instructions

 

• Wash and trim both ends of your Romano beans (or green beans).
• Saute the diced onions and garlic in the olive oil for 4-5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
• Add chopped carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, and bay leaf. Mix in oregano, pepper, and remaining salt, and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add the Romano beans and water.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer on low, covered for about 1 hour. Mix every 10-15 minutes to cook Romano beans evenly.
• Add the chopped parsley. Let it simmer for another 15 minutes or until beans are soft and majority of water has boiled away, leaving only the olive oil.
• Season to taste with more salt, pepper, and oregano.
• Let it cool, then enjoy with lots of feta and bread! Optional: When serving, drizzle with lemon juice and more parsley.

Notes

• If you can’t find Romano beans or they aren’t in season (they’re in season in summer and fall), you can easily use your favorite green beans instead. We’ve used both regular green beans and French green beans with success. 
• If you don’t have parsley, you can omit it. Parsley makes fasolakia more flavorful, but it'll still be delicious without it.

Keyword fasolakia, fasolakia lathera, greek green beans, greek romano beans

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