Greek Lamb Stew With Green Beans: A Hearty One-Pot Family Classic

by · Greek City Times

Greek lamb stew with green beans, the tomato braise known in Greece as arni me fasolakia, scores 4.5 out of 5 from 21 ratings on Allrecipes.

Greek lamb stew made with green beans. Photo: Allrecipes

Greek lamb stew, a kokkinisto with green beans

Meat braised slowly in tomato sauce goes by the name kokkinisto, from kokkino, the Greek word for red. According to TasteAtlas, cooks traditionally make it with beef, chicken or lamb, usually with herbs, spices and red wine.

When green beans go in, the lamb version becomes arni me fasolakia (αρνί με φασολάκια). This Greek lamb stew, shared on Allrecipes by member nickysmama, follows that pattern. Lamb chops brown in olive oil, then simmer with tomato, red wine, lemon, oregano and cinnamon.

Greek City Times has published a green bean and beef version, whose writer notes that it also works with lamb or chicken. Readers can compare it with a beef braise in tomato sauce flavoured with cinnamon and bay leaves.

Read more: Greek Stuffed Turkey: A Grandmother’s Recipe With Chestnuts

Ingredients for four

Each of the four serves has about 365 calories, 20 g of protein and 8 g of fibre, according to Allrecipes. Australian cooks should note that American tomato sauce is closer to passata than to the sauce on a meat pie. For the Greek lamb stew base, you need:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 450 g (1 lb) lamb shoulder blade chops, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 1 large onion, chopped, and 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) dry red wine
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes and 1 can (about 425 g, or 15 oz) tomato sauce or passata
  • 1 cup (250 ml) lamb stock

The flavourings and vegetables that finish this Greek lamb stew are:

  • Grated zest and juice of half a lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon each of dried oregano and ground cinnamon, plus 1 bay leaf
  • 450 g (1 lb) fresh green beans, ends trimmed
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Many reviewers, however, used more meat in their arni me fasolakia. Because 450 g of chops would not feed four adults, reviewer kathy doubled it. Jaja’s daughter suggested 1.5 lb (about 680 g) instead.

How to cook Greek lamb stew on the stovetop

Allrecipes lists 15 minutes of preparation and 2 hours 20 minutes of cooking, all in one large, heavy-based pot.

  1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, season the lamb, then brown it well, about five minutes per side.
  2. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about two minutes, until they colour lightly.
  3. Pour in the wine and bring it to the boil, scraping up the browned bits from the base.
  4. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, stock, lemon zest and juice, oregano, cinnamon and bay leaf.
  5. Return the Greek lamb stew to the boil, cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 1.5 hours.
  6. Add the green beans when the lamb is very tender and cook for about 20 minutes more.
  7. Lift out the bay leaf and any bones, then scatter the parsley over the top.

Reviewer Wyattdogster tasted the broth before the beans went in. Then the cook added more oregano, more cinnamon and a little brown sugar to soften the acidity of the tomatoes.

That reviewer gave the beans 30 minutes for a softer finish and advised trimming fat from the chops. By comparison, kathy cut the cinnamon to 1/4 teaspoon and could still taste it in this Greek lamb stew.

Tips from home cooks

Of the 21 ratings, 13 are five stars and seven are four stars, and 38 home cooks say they have made the dish. Clark Brown’s daughter cooked it for a family “Greek Iron Chef” night.

As the reviewer reported, “Everyone voted this the best dish of the night!”

Lemon divides opinion, though. MKT gave the Greek lamb stew two stars because the citrus overpowered the lamb, and suggested adding the juice gradually. In contrast, Louiselombard planned to use more lemon next time.

Many cooks also moved the pot to a slow cooker. Alix cooked it on high for five hours with Mavrodaphne, a sweet fortified wine from the Patras area. As a result, the arni me fasolakia took on a gentle sweetness.

Some found the sauce thin, however. Momofone suggested draining canned tomatoes or leaving out the tomato sauce. In addition, several reviewers swapped the lamb stock for chicken or beef stock with good results.

Serving and storing arni me fasolakia

Nickysmama often serves this Greek lamb stew over rice or orzo, with a tomato and cucumber salad and good bread. T Trial chose orzo with crusty sourdough, while sundaema used bulgur wheat.

For a meat-free dish, Greek City Times has a recipe for green beans and potatoes braised in olive oil. Lamb lovers can try arnaki with artichokes as well.

Leftover arni me fasolakia keeps well. Australia’s Food Safety Information Council advises refrigerating leftovers in small containers straight after the meal and eating them within two to three days. It also says to reheat food to at least 75°C in the centre.

Finally, the original recipe on Allrecipes includes five photos. One member, WobblyPeel5403, even cooked a pot of the Greek lamb stew to feed a family of 40.

Source: Allrecipes

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