Lebanese Braised Green Beans

The Lebanese dish called loubieh bil zeit, or green beans in olive oil, typically is prepared with flat, sturdy runner beans. The beans are braised until tender in a tomato sauce that’s sometimes seasoned with a mix of spices but always enriched with a glug of olive oil. For our version, we opted for easier-to-find standard green beans, and made a seasoning blend with a few common spices. We got the most flavor out of canned whole tomatoes by crushing and cooking them until thick and jammy, and using some of their juices as the cooking liquid for the beans.