Loubia b'Zeit
لوبيا بزيت·(loo-bya b-zayt)
Oodet El Mouneh: The Lebanese-American Pantry
Let the green beans blister in a heavy skillet, trusting the olive oil to do the work. Loubia b'Zeit is a masterclass in Lebanese restraint. Ignore shortcuts loaded with cumin and bouillon; the traditional method cannot be rushed. All you need is high-quality olive oil, forty-five minutes of patience, and the good sense to let the tomatoes collapse. The beans braise slowly in their own juices. Grab a stack of store-bought pita, tear off a piece, and scoop it right from the pan at room temperature.
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil1/3 cup
- yellow onion1 large
- garlic cloves6 large
- Romano beans1 1/2 lb
- tomato paste2 tbsp
- canned diced tomatoes14.5 oz
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- sugar1/2 tsp
- ground cinnamon1/8 tsp
- Lebanese pita bread4 large
Method
- 01
Heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion until deeply golden and sweet.
This takes about 8 to 10 minutes and forms the flavor backbone of the dish. Once the onions are completely softened, toss in the garlic and cook for just two more minutes.
- 02
Stir in the green beans and fry them in the oil for five to seven minutes.
Searing the flesh in the fragrant oil kick-starts the Maillard reaction and locks in a deep, nutty flavor before any wet ingredients are introduced.
- 03
Clear a small space in the center of the pot, drop in the tomato paste, and let it fry for thirty seconds.
Toasting the paste against the bottom of the pot deepens its color and intensifies the savory umami notes before you stir it into the beans.
- 04
Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices, adding the salt, pepper, sugar, and cinnamon.
Do not add water. The grandmotherly secret here is allowing the beans to braise strictly in the natural juices of the tomatoes and onions, concentrating the flavor. The pinch of sugar neutralizes the acidity of canned winter tomatoes.
- 05
Bring to a gentle simmer, turn the heat to low, cover tightly, and braise for 35 to 45 minutes.
Stir occasionally so the bottom doesn't catch. You will know it is done when the beans have lost their crunch and collapsed entirely, and the tomato sauce has reduced to a thick, olive-oil-slicked jam.
- 06
Remove from the heat, let cool, and serve at room temperature or cold the next day.
As a traditional b'zeit dish, it acts as its own preservative and tastes exponentially better when the flavors are allowed to meld overnight. Scoop it up with warm pita bread.
Notes
Do not skimp on the olive oil.
A third of a cup might look like a massive quantity to an American cook, but olive oil is the primary fat and foundational flavor medium here. It carries the dish and creates the essential rich, jammy sauce.
Use frozen flat beans if fresh are unavailable.
If you cannot find fresh Romano or Italian flat beans, high-quality frozen flat beans straight from the freezer are traditional, acceptable, and far superior to standard cylindrical string beans.
From Cook Lebanese in America.