Greek-Style Bean and Vegetable Relish
This Greek-style preserve rests on the beans: they’re what make it filling and what thicken the sauce with no starch at all. Together with stewed-down tomatoes, they give you two sources of body, so the mixture turns dense on its own, without any thickener. The name nods to the Mediterranean habit of braising beans with vegetables and olive oil — the way Greek fasolada and gigantes are made.
The logic of the steps is simple: the vegetables go in layered by density, each brought to half-doneness first so it keeps its own texture, then all combined. Parsley and garlic come in at the end, where the residual heat of the mixture is enough to release their aroma without boiling it away.
Worth knowing
The critical point: pre-cook the beans only to half-doneness. They finish on their own during storage, but overcooked ones collapse into mush. Celery or cilantro can stand in for parsley. For more heat, drop in a piece of hot pepper while the vegetables stew. And a word on safety: beans are low-acid, so sterilize the jars especially well, and keeping them cool isn’t optional here — it’s necessary.
Serve cold with bread, or warm as a side for meat. In a cool spot the preserve keeps for several months; once opened, refrigerate and use within a week.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Chop the onion, slice the peppers into thin half-rings, and grate the carrots on the coarse side of a grater.
Heat the oil, add the vegetables, and stew until half-cooked.
Add the half-cooked beans and the tomatoes cut into wedges, then stew for another 30 minutes.
Chop the parsley and garlic, add them along with salt to the bubbling mixture, and cook for 5 minutes.
Pack the hot relish into sterilized jars and seal.
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