Syrian Spiced Green Beans
by Amylee Amos PhD, RDN, IFMCPRecipes
This is our family’s recipe for green beans and it hails from Aleppo, Syria. Not only is this dish bursting with flavor, but it has incredible health benefits. The garlic and cumin provide the immune system with a much needed protective boost (1). The olive oil helps lower blood lipid levels, decreasing the risk of hyperlipidemia (2). The coriander is anti-mold, which is fantastic for individuals with mold illness, suffering from Type 3 Alzheimer's Disease, or who are susceptible to mold disease (3). And to be honest, these health benefits just skim the surface. Foods have a synergistic effect. When we eat whole plant foods like green beans, tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil and pair them with spices and herbs, they work together to bring out and increase absorption of their health promoting compounds.
The green beans are delicious served warm or room temperature. Feel free to adjust the spices to your liking!
Syrian Green Beans
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds fresh green beans
- 12 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound tomatoes
- ½ tablespoon cumin
- 2 tablespoon coriander
- ½ tablespoon Aleppo pepper
Directions:
- Trim and cut the fresh green beans into one inch pieces.
- Place into a large skillet.
- Slice the garlic cloves and add them to the skillet.
- Add the salt and olive oil into the skillet and stir fry over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and add them to a small saucepan.
- Cover them with water and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat and bring to a simmer.
- Once the green beans have changed color to a darker green, add the spices.
- Continue to stir the green beans for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the tomato mixture to the green beans, cover, and decrease the temperature to medium low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the cover and continue to cook, allowing some of the liquid to evaporate.
- Serve warm.
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