INSTANT POT GREEK GREEN BEANS RECIPE (FASOLAKIA LADERA)

This traditional Instant Pot Greek Green Beans recipe creates a fulfilling entree, ready in about 30 minutes. Tender green beans and cooked vegetables in a tomato-olive oil sauce that only requires a few simple ingredients. Fall in love with this Greek recipe that embodies everything wonderful about the Mediterranean diet and discover how delicious green beans can be.

Greek Green Beans, also known as Fasolakia Ladera or Φασολάκια λαδερά in Greek (pronounced Faso-LA-kia Lather-AH) is part of the “Ladera” category of Greek dishes. In Greek, “ladi” means oil, and a ladera dish is vegetables cooked in extra virgin olive oil. Our Instant Pot Greek Green Beans recipe features the original recipe that you will find in all Greek households but with the added benefit of cooking it in the Instant Pot to save you time and money. Serve it with a small piece of feta and some crusty bread to soak up the mouth-watering sauce and you’ve got a meal that will become a new family favourite.

TONY’S NOTES

“In Western cuisine, green beans are mostly eaten as a side dish or as a salad. In Greek cuisine, green beans have their own personality and are a very popular main dish. We eat this dish at least twice per month because we absolutely love them. Fasolakia belongs to a well-known category of Greek cuisine called lathera, which are dishes cooked with light tomato sauce and olive oil. Very Mediterranean flavours, very healthy, and very nutritious. Kids love them too, especially when you cut them in small pieces, and is an easy way to introduce them to a healthy diet. The magic of the Mediterranean diet is the simplicity and the ability to cook healthy and balanced, and mostly easy with few ingredients – fasolakia is exactly that. Cook them for a few minutes in your Instant Pot and enjoy yummy Greek cuisine wherever you are. Always smile and enjoy!”

WHY YOU WILL LOVE OUR INSTANT POT GREEK GREEN BEAN RECIPE

• Delicious – The combination of all these ingredients compliment each other so well. You won’t be able to realize how such a humble dish can be so flavourful.
• Easy – Place all the prepared ingredients into the pot, set it to pressure cook, and let the Instant Pot do all the work for you.
• Fast – This dish is ready from start to finish in 30 minutes! Woo hoo!
• Budget-Friendly – Frozen and pantry-stable vegetables, and a few kitchen staples are all you need. This recipe makes approximately 6 entree-sized servings for us and costs under 10 bucks.
• Plant-based – As with many Mediterranean Diet recipes, Fasolakia is another main dish that is naturally vegetarian and vegan. Use a vegetarian/vegan bouillon cube to ensure this dish fits your dietary requirements.
• Top Allergen-Free – Our Instant Pot Fasolakia recipe is a Top Allergen-free recipe. Carefully check the ingredients on the bouillon cube, as some can contain milk or wheat. Alternatively, you can substitute the bouillon cube with 1 teaspoon of salt or by replacing the 1 cup of water with 1 cup of homemade broth.

INGREDIENTS FOR FASOLAKIA

• 8 cups green beans 1 kilo, fresh or frozen
• 2 (about 1 cup) carrots peeled and chopped
• 3 (about 3-4 cups) potatoes peeled and chopped in small wedges
• 1 (about 1½cup) red onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
• 1 (400g) can no-salt added diced tomatoes
• 1 bouillon cube broken into smaller pieces, vegetable or chicken
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin

HOW TO PREPARE INSTANT POT GREEK GREEN BEANS RECIPE

You will love these preparation instructions for our Instant Pot Greek Green Beans recipe because it couldn’t be easier to make. This is a true “Dump-and-Go” recipe because it doesn’t require any work besides putting all the prepared ingredients into the Instant Pot, setting it for 6 minutes to cook on high pressure, and then setting it to a quick release when done. Add fresh extra virgin olive oil to the completed dish and gently stir to combine the flavours. That’s it!

The prep time is minimal because it’s only a few vegetables that need chopping. Prechop and store the vegetables (minus the potato) in the fridge for up to one day before making the meal to save time when preparing. Many times I have chopped the veggies and herbs the previous night so when I’m ready to make Fasolakia I just dump everything in the Instant Pot effortlessly.

FROZEN VS. FRESH GREEN BEANS

I have tried this recipe with both frozen and fresh green beans and in my opinion, there is a teeny tiny slight taste advantage to using fresh green beans. With that said, 90% of the time I make this recipe with frozen green beans, simply to save time. I love cooking with frozen green beans because the stems are already trimmed and the quality is fantastic. I stock up on frozen vegetables whenever they’re on sale so I always have a nice selection waiting in my freezer.

“DO I REALLY NEED TO USE THAT MUCH OLIVE OIL?”

Yes, yes you do! We use massive amounts of olive oil in Greek cooking, which seems extreme from a typical Western diet viewpoint. But the Mediterranean diet is world-renowned as being one of the most healthy cuisines on the planet. One of the reasons is the abundance of extra virgin olive oil in the dishes. Extra virgin olive oil contains a high number of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. The rich flavour and consistency adds another element to the recipe and helps satisfy you without the need for meat. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the dish before cooking, and add 1/4 cup after cooking. Adding fresh olive oil after the cooking process changes the texture and taste of the dish, giving it a rich and fulfilling depth.

BENEFITS OF COOKING FASOLAKIA LADERA IN THE INSTANT POT

As with all dishes, you’ll find dozens of versions where you can make the same dish on the stovetop. Using the Instant Pot is a time-saver in more ways than one.

First, you don’t have to sauté the vegetables. Once you put all the ingredients in the liner of the Instant Pot, mix them together, set the timer and that’s it. This is why it’s classified as a “Dump and Go” recipe. On the stovetop, you need to monitor it, mix it regularly, and maybe adjust the heat. So while the total cooking time is a bit less (when you factor in the amount of time it takes to come to pressure), the amount of “hands-on” time making the meal is drastically less. Any minute saved is a minute earned and that’s one of the reasons I love cooking with my Instant Pot.

The Instant Pot also cooks vegetables beautifully. We have experimented countless times to ensure that the cooking times are perfected to have the ideal texture of the vegetables.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR INSTANT POT FASOLAKIA

One of the things I love about this dish is the versatility of the vegetables. I use the recipe as written as the foundation and add extras that I have on hand. Sweet potato and zucchini taste wonderful in this dish and add more much-loved vitamins and nutrients. Don’t be shy to experiment with extras. However, I recommend trying the recipe first as written, and then from there you can play with it to see which flavour combinations you’d like to add.

Serve Fasolakia as an entree. It is a fulfilling vegan meal you can enjoy during Lent, Meatless Mondays, or any day! If you prefer serving it with some meat, it goes very well with roasted or grilled chicken.

If you want to add a gourmet twist you can serve it with a piece of feta cheese. The saltiness of the feta adds another wonderful layer of flavour to this multifaceted dish. To truly eat it Greek-style, take a piece of thick bread and use it to scoop up the oily-leftover-yumminess in your dish.

ALLERGY INFORMATION FOR GREEK GREEN BEANS

Our Greek Green Beans recipe is:

• Dairy-free
• Egg-free
• Nut-free
• Peanut-free
• Wheat-free
• Soy-free
• Sesame-free
• Fish-free
• Crustacean-free
• Celery-free
• Mustard-free

Always check food labels to ensure the ingredients comply with dietary needs. Some bouillon contains dairy and wheat. This can be substituted with soup salt or plain salt.

HOW TO STORE INSTANT POT GREEK GREEN BEANS RECIPE

Store leftover Fasolakia in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also store it in an airtight, freezer-proof container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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