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Yahni ("Greek Festival Green Beans")

This is my recipe, and I’m not Greek. I have, however, been eating these from the Richmond Greek Festival for decades, and love them so much I figured out a reasonable facsimile. In fact, when my son was a toddler, he would not touch a green bean…until these. We went to the Greek Festival and he ate his, mine, and his dad’s. We had to get more to take home for later. It’s only a long weekend, though, so I had to figure it out, and I cooked beans this way religiously for at least 5 years! Try them, and see what you think!
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Course: Side Dishes
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 1 pound green beans fresh or frozen
  • 15 ounces chopped tomatoes
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley Or 1 tbs dried
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano Or 1 tsp dried
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint optional
  • 1 teaspoon sugar optional
  • ½ teaspoon salt add more to taste if needed
  • fresh pepper

Method
 

  1. In a medium pot, heat olive oil at medium to low heat. Sauté onion until soft, then add garlic.
  2. Add beans and mix until covered with the olive oil.
  3. Add tomatoes, parsley, sugar (if using), salt and pepper. Stir together.
  4. Add hot water just enough to half cover the beans
  5. Simmer with the lid on for about 40 minutes (do not boil).
  6. The beans are ready once there is no water left and the beans are soft.

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