Cardamom and Tea

Green beans with tomato and olive oil

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These Middle Eastern green beans with tomato and olive oil—also known as loubieh bi zeit—are as simple to make as they are satisfying to eat. Don’t let the short ingredient list fool you: their flavor is anything but basic.

If you’re ready to cook, feel free to jump to the recipe 😋. Otherwise, stick around to learn why this humble dish deserves a spot in your rotation.

Steam-Frying, the key to great green beans

Steam-frying might sound fancy, but it’s delightfully easy. You start by giving your veggies a quick sauté in a bit of oil, then pop a lid on the pan so they steam and sizzle at the same time.

Steam frying coaxes out deep, bold flavors while keeping vegetables crisp-tender and vibrant. Think of it as the secret handshake between browning and steaming: flavorful, fast, with just enough technique to make it feel intentional—even if it’s something you pulled together on the fly.

What’s so delicious about it?

  • Steam-frying creates something entirely different from a typical pan-fry. You won’t get deep browning or a crispy edge. Instead, the green beans turn tender with a soft al dente bite and a whisper of caramelization—just enough to deepen the flavor without overpowering the dish.
  • It’s also wonderfully low-effort. No need to stand over the stove working in batches to get the perfect sear—because here, uniform crispiness isn’t the goal.
  • Since it’s a relatively low-heat frying application, you can use extra virgin olive oil without worrying about it scorching.

Helpful hints to get green beans with tomato just right:

  • Don’t skimp on the oil! Think about the amount of extra virgin olive oil you’d use if you were dressing a salad. It’s the key to a rich flavor and glorious texture (I mean, it’s in the name, loubieh bi zeit—the oil is essential).
  • If you’re after truly granny-style Middle Eastern green beans with tomato, feel free to steam them for a little (or a lot) longer than the recipe suggests. This recipe as-is will give them a perfect amount of bite if you’re looking for more al dente beans.
  • If you have quality in-season fresh tomatoes, feel free to use 1 3/4 cups fresh here instead of diced. Add them a little earlier in the process, when the green beans are almost done steaming (this gives them a chance to soften more). I love this recipe with canned tomatoes, but it’s wonderful either way.
  • Read the note below the recipe to learn how to use frozen green beans here.
  • If you’re looking for more of a green bean stew, try my flat bean stew instead.
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Green beans with tomato and olive oil

green beans with tomato
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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 2 pounds fresh green beans, stemmed and broken into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces *
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

Instructions

  1. Heat a large, steep-sided sauté pan or medium dutch oven over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, followed by the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until they soften a little and turn very light golden (not brown).
  2. Add the green beans and stir for about 1 minute over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes or so (re-cover every time you give it a stir).
  3. Add the black pepper and salt, and stir for about 30 seconds.
  4. Add the diced tomatoes, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the green beans are your preferred doneness.

Notes

* Feel free to substitute frozen, but be sure to taste them as you go after the first few minutes, because the cook time will most likely be shorter. You’ll also want to cook them uncovered for an extra 1 or 2 minutes.

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Warak Enab (Lebanese grape leaves)

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These Lebanese warak enab are pure comfort food for meat lovers. Whether you choose lamb or beef, you’re in for a treat.

Picture this: tender loin chops nestle at the bottom of the pot, shielding the grape leave from scorching while becoming irresistibly fall-apart tender in the process.

The stuffing keeps it simple with just 7 real ingredients, but there’s no shortage of flavor. This recipe is proof that you don’t need a mile-long ingredients list to make an unforgettable dish.

Jump to the recipe if you’re ready to go, or read through some helpful tips and tricks first. And don’t miss my whole collection of dolma and mahshi for lots of similar recipes (including a few vegan versions).

warak enab rolled in a pile
warak enab in a pot

How to stuff and roll the grape leaves

Stuffing and rolling grape leaves takes a little bit of know-how. You’ll get the hang of it in no time. Here are step-by-step instructions, as well as GIFs of my mom rolling up the vegetarian version of this recipe.

rolling grape leaves: adding the filling

1. Start with the dull veiny side up on a cutting board. Make a log with the filling in the center of the leaf.

rolling grape leaves: folding up the bottom

2. Fold up the bottom of the leaf.

rolling grape leaves: folding up the sides

3. Fold the sides of the leaf up.

rolling grape leaves: rolling it up

4. Roll up, putting a little pressure on the roll as you go.

Guide for warak enab first-timers:

If you’re making grape leaves for the first time (or if it’s been a while!), I’ve got you covered. All of the following tips are woven into the recipe, but here’s everything you need to know:

1) Start the day before if you can.

If the process seems a little daunting, you can make the components ahead the day before you plan to serve. Blanch and prep the grape leaves, make the stuffing, and store both separately in the fridge. Then the day you want to serve, stuff the grape leaves, build the pot, and let it simmer away.

2) Use the right amount of stuffing per leaf.

Many recipes will tell you “don’t over-stuff your leaves,” but I’ve seen some folks make grape leaves who should be told the opposite advice. See the photos in the recipe for a guide, and try to wrap them a little snugly, but not extremely tightly.

3) Make sure you blanch your grape leaves if they’re from a jar or vacuum-sealed bag.

I’ve included blanching instructions in the recipe below, so just make sure you don’t skip that step. It is 100% mandatory if you want to end up with something edible.

Why not just give them a quick rinse instead of fully submerging them in water? Soaking helps rinse off the extra brine better than running water—it gets between the leaves. Plus, the hot water helps remove any oily residue so the leaves are clean and ready to roll.

salting chicken breasts

4) Use your own judgment about how much salt to add.

Even after rinsing your brined leaves, they’re still going to be quite acidic and salty. Taste them to get a sense of what you’re working with. Then decide how much salt to add to the simmering liquid and meat.

warak enab in process

5) The dull, veiny side of the leaf should face the stuffing (the shiny, smooth side should face out).

Place the dull, veiny side of the grape leaf facing up before adding the stuffing. There’s no real rule saying you have to. But for that classic, glossy look, it’s worth it. They just look more appetizing this way, and I have a feeling they hold together a little better too.

One caveat: If you plan to bring a pot over to an auntie’s house, this step becomes 100% mandatory. 😉

What sets Lebanese warak enab apart from other grape leaves:

There is no one right way to make warak enab. Recipes vary a ton from person to person. But here are some things you can probably count on:

1) Delicately thin rolls

In my experience, Lebanese grape leaves are usually rolled into elegantly thin wands. This shape works great with a more meat-heavy filling, since it’s easy to shape the meat into a long line before rolling it up. If you can’t get them quite as thin as you’d like, no worries—they’ll still turn out great. Above all, just make sure you don’t over-stuff them.

2) Simple, hearty flavors

Vegetarian grape leaves are a whole other story. But meaty warak enab are not usually flavored with a ton of spices or herbs. It’s usually more about the flavor of the lamb/beef, lemon, and grape leaves.

3) A nice amount of olive oil

You’ll usually find a decent amount of olive oil in most recipes, both in the filling and in the simmering liquid. It makes them super rich, but not heavy. I learned this particular secret from chef Maria Bizri.

warak enab in a pot
warak enab on a tray

A world of grape leaves

There are lots of different kinds of stuffed grape leaves out there. Even within one country, you’ll find a ton of variation from region to region and family to family. Here are a few others to keep an eye out for:

  • I grew up with Assyrian stuffed grape leaves (prakhe), which my family makes with a ton of parsley, dill, and cilantro. We often made ours vegetarian with mushrooms and walnuts.
  • Syrian grape leaves (yabraq) are a little sweet and sour, like my friend Tony’s recipe, which has a ton of meltingly-tender whole garlic cloves.
  • There’s a lot of regional variation within Palestinian grape leaves (warak dawali), and my friend Abeer’s recipe is flavored with lots of different vegetables on the bottom of the pot. Her recipe’s stuffing is also super flavorful, with seven spice and parsley.
  • Persian grape leaves (dolmeh barg) are super fragrantly flavored and often folded into perfect pentagons.

All just to say, there is a ton of variety out there! These were just a few highlights, and there are about two dozen other regional variations I could’ve added to this list.

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Warak Enab (Lebanese grape leaves), beef or lamb

warak enab in a pot
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

  • About 125–150 grape leaves, jarred or vacuum sealed (about 600g after draining)
  • ½ tsp neutral oil
  • 7 to 10 small lamb* chops (450-650g)
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 pounds ground lamb * (905g)
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked medium grain rice, rinsed (300g)
  • 2 teaspoons Lebanese baharat ** (3g)
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (80g), divided in half
  • 2 cups stock or water (480g)
  • 2/3 cup lemon juice (160g)

Instructions

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Notes

* To make this recipe with beef instead of lamb, use ground beef for the filling instead of ground lamb, and use potato slices or scraps of beef in place of the lamb chops.

** If you don’t have a baharat blend, you can substitute 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp sweet paprika, and 1/4 tsp ground coriander seeds. If you don’t have coriander seeds, use a pinch of cinnamon instead.

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