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    Home » Recipes » Beef + Lamb Recipes

    Fasulye (Turkish Green Bean Stew with Meat)

    Published: Feb 25, 2023 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    A true family heirloom, fasulye is a Turkish green bean stew with meat that is simple and comforting. Simmered in tomato broth, we like to serve fasulye with basmati or jasmine rice.

    Serve fasulye, a Turkish meat and green bean stew with a side of rice to soak up the delicious tomato broth.

    There are a few favorite recipes I gravitate towards when I am craving something from my childhood. One is this hearty and simple Turkish green bean stew, my mom's stuffed grape leaves and perfectly crisp latkes.

    Jump to:
    • 🥣 A Little Family Story about Fasulye
    • 🥩 What is Fasulye?
    • 📋 Ingredients
    • ⏲️ How to Make Fasulye
    • 📍 Recipe Tips
    • 🌶️ Variations
    • How to Serve Turkish Green Beans
    • More Turkish Recipes to Try
    • Fasulye (Turkish Green Beans with Meat)

    🥣 A Little Family Story about Fasulye

    This Turkish green bean stew is dear to my childhood and to my stomach. Called fasulye, it is based off of my Mom’s Sephardic side of the family and is truly and family gem.

    My mother learned to make this recipe from her Great-Grandmother and all the women in our family have a certain twist to their fasulye.

    I would often hear stories about how my mom, her sister, Aunt Clara and Grandma and Great-Grandma would all sit on the floor with large bowls of green beans snapping each end of every single one. If there was still a string left, Mom’s Grandma spotted it.

    🥩 What is Fasulye?

    Fasulye translates to beans in Turkish, which can be from fresh green beans, like in this recipe or kuru fasulye which has white beans.

    The Turkish stew usually has a tomato base, with either tomato paste or chopped tomatoes with cubes of beef or lamb. There are also vegetarian versions of fasulye with sauteed green beans and tomatoes.

    📋 Ingredients

    Turkish fasulye is simple and heart-warming and the ingredients are uncomplicated, yet the flavors are pronounced. The combination of tomato with the green beans creates a distinct flavor only this pairing can illustrate.

    • Beef Stew Meat: Look for chuck for this beef stew and If cutting the meat yourself, but the beef into 1 inch cubes.
    • Onion: Yellow or white onion, diced.
    • Tomato Paste: This gives a deep tomato flavor to the dtew. When adding, saute the tomato paste in the oil so all the flavors open up.
    • Chopped Tomatoes: If tomatoes are in season, use fresh tomatoes for the best flavor but a small can of chopped tomatoes works very well.
    • Water or Stock: I like using a stock base which gives great flavor.
    • Green Beans: Fresh or frozen green beans work well for fasulye. If using fresh, trim the ends off.

    ⏲️ How to Make Fasulye

    1. Pat the cubed beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
    2. Bring a Dutch oven to medium high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Once hot, sear the beef cubes, in batches until caramelized on all sides.
    3. Remove the beef to a plate and saute the chopped onions until softened, for 2-3 minutes.
    4. Stir the tomato paste in saute for another minute until deepened in color. Then pour in ½ cup water and deglaze, scraping up any meaty bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven.
    5. Add the beef cubes back in and pour the stock and chopped tomatoes in and simmer for 10 minutes.
    6. Place green beans on top of the stew, making sure they are not submerged so the green beans steam and not overcook.
    7. Cover the Dutch oven, leaving a small opening and bring to a simmer. Cook the beef stew for 1-1 ½ hours, until the meat is tender and green beans are just cooked through.
    8. Serve fasule with white rice, spooning the sauce over the rice and garnish with chopped parsley.
    Dry the beef cubes well with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
    Sear the beef cubes until caramelized on all sides.
    Add chopped onions and saute until softened.
    Add a few tablespoons of tomato paste and saute.
    Add water and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any meaty bits from the bottom.
    Add the fresh green beans right on top of the beef stew.

    📍 Recipe Tips

    • Dry the beef very well with paper towels so the meat seares nicely.
    • Use frozen green beans or tender haricoverts to make this recipe even easier!
    • Place the green beans right on top of the stew and don't submerge them in the liquid. This will ensure the green beans don't overcook.
    Turkish green bean stew with meat and tomatoes.

    🌶️ Variations

    • Substitute with cubes of lamb instead of beef.
    • Make fasulye vegetarian and omit the beef. Instead, add cubes of potatoes and white beans.
    • For a spicier flavor, add 1 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper or harissa paste.
    What cut of beef is stew meat?

    For beef stew, use chuck which can handle the longer cooking and will become tender. Cut the chuck roast into medium sized 1 inch cubes for beef stew.

    How to Serve Turkish Green Beans

    We serve fasulye simple with either basmati rice or jasmine rice. Be sure to scoop some pf the delicious tomato sauce over the rice! You cna also top with a dollop of yogurt or labneh and fresh chopped parsley.

    More Turkish Recipes to Try

    • Summer Fasulye
    • Turkish Zucchini Pie
    • Turkish Borek (Spinach and Feta Pie)
    • Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza)
    • Baklava Bimuelos
    Fasulye is a hearty green bean and tomato stew with cubed meat and served with rice.

    Fasulye (Turkish Green Beans with Meat)

    Samantha Ferraro

    LittleFerraroKitchen.com

    A true family heirloom, fasulye is a Turkish green bean stew with meat that is simple and comforting. Simmered in tomato broth, we like to serve fasulye with basmati or jasmine rice.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 484 kcal

    Equipment

    • Dutch Oven

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1 inch cubes
    • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 small yellow onion diced
    • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 2 ½ cups stock or water chicken stock or beef stock
    • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
    • 1 pound green beans ends trimmed
    • chopped parsley for garnish
    • Cooked Jasmine rice for serving

    Instructions
     

    • Pat the cubed beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
    • Bring a Dutch oven to medium high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Once hot, sear the beef cubes, in batches until caramelized on all sides.
    • Remove the beef to a plate and saute the chopped onions until softened, for 2-3 minutes.
    • Stir the tomato paste in saute for another minute until deepened in color. Then pour in ½ cup water or stick and deglaze, scraping up any meaty bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven.
    • Add the beef cubes back in and pour in the rest of the water or stock and chopped tomatoes. Stir together and simmer the stew for 10 minutes.
    • Place green beans on top of the stew, making sure they lay on top and not submerged so the green beans steam and not overcook.
    • Cover the Dutch oven,, leaving a small opening and bring everything to a simmer and cook the beef stew for 1-1 ½ hours, until the meat is tender and green beans are just cooked through.
    • Once done, serve fasule with white rice, spooning the sauce over the rice and garnish with chopped parsley.

    Notes

    • This recipe can easily be made in the slow cooker, with the same directions.
    • Use frozen green beans instead of fresh. There is no need to thaw. 
    • This recipe tastes even better the next day and is great for making ahead!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 484kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 57gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 1019mgPotassium: 1305mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1393IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 7mg
    Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a comment and 5 star rating!

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    Comments

    1. Elizabeth says

      February 26, 2023 at 5:02 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Samantha! This recipe sounds so yummy, thanks for sharing - I can't wait to fix it! I just have a question about the Pepper in the recipe...did you really use 12 tsp, or maybe it might have been 1/2 tsp?

      Reply
      • Samantha Ferraro says

        February 26, 2023 at 5:27 pm

        Hi Elizabeth! Thank you for catching that! It is 1/2 teaspoon, not 12. whoops! I just updated the recipe. Have fun cooking!

        Reply
    2. Helen says

      February 26, 2023 at 4:01 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe brought back memories of my dear neighbor Anastasia. She would be tending to the beans sitting on her porch and would cook this wonderful dish. She used potatoes and now I will make this dish with the meat in a few days. I miss her cooking.

      Reply
      • Samantha Ferraro says

        February 26, 2023 at 4:09 pm

        Hello Helen, That's exactly what it does for me. Memories, all the way back to my Grandma. A few dishes bring back those wonderful memories, These grape leaves are another one, https://littleferrarokitchen.com/moms-stuffed-grape-leaves/. Thank you so much for following me. Samantha

        Reply
    3. rhonda shapiro says

      September 13, 2012 at 3:00 pm

      5 stars
      well written Samantha, Now I want you to come and make this for me lol!!

      Reply

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