I love the simplicity of this dish and memories it brings back of my childhood every time I eat it. I love the sweetness the summer tomatoes add to this dish and the tender green beans. It’s a dish that can been eaten hot or cold as a light meal by itself or as a side dish.
What you need
- ½ kg green beans
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 medium eggplant (optional)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 5 medium very ripe tomatoes (grated) or 450g tinned tomatoes – chopped
- Salt and pepper – to taste
- 2 TBLS chopped continental parsley
What to do
Trim the ends of the beans, rinse in cold water and drain well
Peel and cut the onion in half, then slice into 1cm slices.
Peel and chop the carrots into 2cm pieces
Heat oil in a pot
Add the onion and cook on low heat for 5 minutes until onion softens and becomes transparent. Cooking onion on a low heat brings out a lovely sweetness.
Add the beans, carrots and tomatoes – stir through
Add 500ml of water and bring to the boil, cover and simmer on a medium/low heat for 40 minutes or until the beans are soft and liquid has reduced to a sauce consistency.
If adding eggplant, prepare it while the beans are cooking:
Heat oven to 200c. Wash and cut the eggplant in quarters length-wise, then cut each piece into quarters
Place eggplant on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
Add the roasted eggplant to the beans and gently stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and add finely chopped parsley and stir through.
Serve with crusty bread.
