Italian Braised Green Beans and Potatoes - Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures (2024)

Ingredients

Scale

• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 16 oz. green beans *
• 2 lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled, chunked
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 – [ 14.5 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
• 1 – [ 8 oz. can ] tomato sauce
• 1 cup vegetable broth *
• 1 cup water (or broth)
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 6 sun-dried tomato halves, minced
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda *
• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 Tablespoon dried minced onions
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon dried ground rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves *
• Pinch crushed fennel (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)

Optional Toppings:

• Freshly chopped parsley
• Dried red pepper flakes
• Vegan Parmesan Cheese (or nutritional yeast)

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1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients into a small bowl, mix to combine, set aside.
3. Place all the sliced onions, bell peppers, and green beans into a deep ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven with ¼ cup of water. Sauté over medium-high heat until veggies start to soften, then add the minced garlic and sauté for a minute.
4. Then add all the remaining ingredients including the Spice/Herb Mix, stir well to ensure all the ingredients are evenly coated. Push the potatoes down into the broth. Sprinkle the top lightly with some additional sea salt and black pepper, then place in a preheated 400 F oven and roast uncovered for 40 to 55 minutes or until the potatoes are perfectly tender. The oven time is largely dependent upon the size of the potatoes used.
5. When the potatoes are tender, remove from the oven, allow to set for approx. 10 minutes to allow the flavors to settle and marry, discard the bay leaves.
6. Sprinkle individual portions sprinkled Vegan Parmesan Cheese or nutritional yeast and serve with some freshly chopped parsley and red pepper flake.

*Tips for Success: Try to push the potatoes down into the broth. When testing for potato tenderness, check multiple potatoes by sliding a sharp knife into the potatoes. If the knife slides into the potato easily, then they are done.

*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.

*Baking Soda: The baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes. We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture will bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity.

*Dried Thyme Crushed Leaves: We use Penzeys French Thyme. It has amazing flavor. If you can’t find dried crushed thyme leaves, you can use ground thyme, but use half the amount.

*Green Beans: We used fresh green beans, but you can also use canned or frozen. If using canned or frozen green beans, just add them when you add the potatoes. Tenderness of the green beans will vary depending on if fresh, canned, or frozen beans were used.

*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Serving: Makes 4 servings.

*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 5 days.