This green bean stew with pork and potatoes is a slow cooker meal that only takes 20 minutes to prepare! It’s a hearty and delicious meal you will love.
This is a super-fast and tasty way to get two servings of veggies per bowlful and satisfy the hungry meat eater. The green beans are cooked to perfection and the meat is tender and full of flavor.
Slow Cooking is the Key to a Wonderful Green Bean Stew
I once met an Iraqi restaurant owner who told me that in Iraq, most dishes aren’t considered done until they have been stewing for at least 4 hours. These days, I don’t know anyone who has four hours to cook. This is where the crockpot comes in.
Spend 20 minutes in the morning prepping dinner, throw it into your slow cooker, set the timer and you’re good to go. I love coming home to the smell of a home-cooked Mediterranean meal that has been stewing all day long. You can check out 7 of our favorite Crockpot recipes.
7 Mediterranean Crockpot Recipes
What to Serve with Green Bean Stew?
This recipe works really well for the person who is a meat and potato eater who wants to gradually head towards eating Mediterranean. I would serve this with a Greek salad and some nice crusty whole grain bread.
Authentic Greek Salad
How Long Does Green Bean Stew Last?
The stew will last close to a week in the refrigerator so you can have it for dinner one night and then for a couple of lunches. I also have frozen the stew in Ziplock bags and when I am ready to defrost, I just put the bag in a bowl of warm water. Take the stew out of the bag, put it in a pot and heat it up on the stove. It usually takes me about 10 minutes to defrost, heat and have ready for lunch or dinner.
Other Ways to Prepare Green Bean Stew?
We’ve adapted this slow cooker Mediterranean Diet recipe for the Instant Pot. While the slow cooker version needs about 6 hours to become a wonderful stew, you can make it in only 30 minutes with the Instant Pot. The amazing thing is that it tastes like its been cooking all day. If you have an Instant Pot, check out the recipe here.
All in all, I think you will enjoy this traditional recipe from the Island of Crete. Kali Orexi (Bon Appetit in Greek)
Recipe adapted from “Foods of Crete: Traditional Recipes from the Healthiest People in by World” by Koula Barydakis and Bill Bradley, R.D.
Green Beans with Pork and Potatoes In the Slow Cooker (Greece)
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean pork, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots, sliced thin
- 2 celery sticks, sliced thin
- 3 fresh tomatoes, grated or 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 quarters
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a slow cooker (crock-pot). Stir well.
- Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours. Meat should be fork-tender.
Nutrition
About the Author: Koula Barydakis
I needed to work outside most of the day, so I prepared this recipe in the crockpot. The result was a fabulous healthy meal! I’m a meat and potato guy trying the Mediterranean cuisine and loving the food!
I threw this easy recipe together in the early afternoon and let it cook on high for 4 hours, instead of 6 hours. Everything was perfectly cooked.
I used fresh green beans, added one red sweet pepper, chopped up fresh tomatoes (instead of using crushed tomatoes), and added a little thyme. So so good. My husband even went back for seconds!
So simple and quick. My favorite kind of recipe. Thank you!
This looks very good. How much olive oil should I add? Thanks for these recipes.
Glad you think so! 1/2 cup of olive oil in this one.
I love your recipes! They are very versatile, adaptable, and inexpensive.
For example, this recipe is delicious as it is but it reminded me more of an Irish Stew using pork. The second time around I wanted it more what I imagine as Mediterranean. I added 2 teaspoons of greek seasoning, 1/2 cup of white wine, some lemon and orange zest and juice, and some olives. That increased the cost but was really delicious. If you have a handful of mushrooms that need to be used up toss that in there too.
I also realized that the recipe reminded me a lot of a stew that my sister’s Mexican mother-in-law used to make and my kids loved. Add a couple of teaspoons of Mexican spices with lots of cumin, some peppers, some corn, and even some zucchini. Thicken it a little bit with masa flour. Yummy…inexpensive, and healthy.
Made this last night and was surprised at how good it was. Was worried the veggies would have cooked too long but every part of this was delicious. A keeper.
Glad you liked it. It is one of my favorite Koula recipes!
Making this tonight for Sunday dinner!
Making this today