What do you do when the green beans you bought are a little too long in the tooth and tough? Slow-braise them until they’re tender in a tomato-based broth! What do you do if you’re out of Rao’s marinara sauce (I normally make a 1:1 ratio of Rao’s:chicken broth braising liquid)? You can make your own!
I adapted this recipe from Deborah Madison’s Green Beans Simmered with Tomato in her cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.
Time to make Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes and Onions!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 large onion, sliced thin
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound trimmed green beans, cut into uniform 2-inch pieces
- 1 (14-ounce) can Muir Glen diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained
- 1-2 cups chicken broth or bone broth
- Freshly ground black pepper
Equipment:
- All of my recommended kitchen tools are listed here.
Method:
Melt the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the ghee melts, throw in the onions and a sprinkle of salt and sauté until translucent.
Add the minced garlic, green beans, tomatoes, and enough broth to cover everything. Increase the heat to high until the broth comes to a boil. Then, cover the skillet with a lid and reduce the heat to low to produce a constant simmer.
Let the beans simmer for 5-10 minutes (or as long as it takes) to get tender. Remove lid and simmer to reduce liquid for ~5 minutes. Taste the beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Plate it up.
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes and Onions

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound green beans trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 (14 ounce) can of diced fire roasted tomatoes drained
- 1-2 cups chicken broth or bone broth
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the ghee melts, throw in the onions and a sprinkle of salt and sauté until translucent.
- Add the minced garlic, green beans, tomatoes, and enough broth to cover everything. Increase the heat to high until the broth comes to a boil. Then, cover the skillet with a lid and reduce the heat to low to produce a constant simmer.
- Let the beans simmer for 5-10 minutes (or as long as it takes) to get tender. Remove lid and simmer to reduce liquid for ~5 minutes. Taste the beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Plate it up!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.