Green Beans Braised with Mint & Potatoes

Forget crisp-tender. In the Greek tradition, green beans are braised long and slow until they’re soft, silky, and saturated with tomato. This dish leans into that, simmering the beans with potatoes until both are meltingly tender.

The braise is built on tomato and a little fat, with just enough water to almost cover. As everything simmers, the potatoes soak up the tomatoey sauce and the beans lose their squeak, turning tender and deeply flavored.

Fresh mint is the surprise that makes it sing. Stirred in toward the end and scattered over again at serving, it brings a cool, bright lift that cuts through the rich tomato, a hallmark of Greek vegetable cooking.

If the sauce is still thin when the vegetables are done, boil it down separately to concentrate it, then spoon it back over. Serve warm, alongside grilled chops or fish, or on its own with cheese and bread.

Chef Tips

• Braise the beans until truly soft, Greek-style, not crisp-tender; that’s the whole point.
• Tuck the potatoes among the beans so they soak up the tomato sauce as they cook.
• Add the mint near the end so its fresh flavor doesn’t cook away.
• If the sauce is watery, reduce it separately, then pour it back over the vegetables.

Variations

• Add a chopped onion and garlic to the braise for more depth.
• Use fresh tomatoes or passata in place of tomato juice.
• Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and a crumble of feta.