A light and refreshing soup, perfect for summer and early fall. This rustic Balkan recipe features tender Italian flat green beans (also known as Romano beans), fragrant lovage, and ripe tomatoes. It can be served cold, warm, or hot—optionally accompanied by chili peppers for a touch of heat. Easy to prepare on the stovetop, this versatile soup makes an ideal choice for lunch or a light dinner.
The pairing of flat green beans with tomatoes—or other seasonal vegetables—is a beloved combination across much of Europe. In my household, we often enjoy them as a simple stew or as part of a light soup, especially when they’re in season during the summer and early fall. Italian flat green beans, also known as Romano beans, are an ideal summer vegetable: tender, flavorful, and perfect for quick, no-fuss meals that make the most of fresh produce.
Before leaving, CHECK OUT MY RECIPE FOR FLAT GREEN BEANS & POTATO STEW. It’s really tasty.
Behind the Bites
Italian flat green beans—also known as Romano beans in some regions—are a beloved variety of green bean widely used across Europe, particularly in countries like Greece, throughout the Balkans, France (where they’re called haricots plats), Italy, and Portugal.
Cooking with flat beans is often associated with rustic, provincial cuisine, where seasonal produce meets simplicity. In contrast, the slender French green beans (haricots verts) are typically reserved for more refined or “sophisticated” preparations.
Over time, various European regions have cultivated their own distinctive varieties of flat beans, including yellow flat beans and types with striking purple streaks, reflecting the diversity of this humble yet versatile vegetable.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Italian flat green beans, known also as Romano beans
- Tomatoes – fresh ripe tomatoes, or canned tomato cubes
- Carrot
- Onion – yellow or red works fine
- Water – or change with vegetable stock
- Vegetable oil – like sunflower, canola or olive oil
- Seasoning: sea salt, lovage plant spice, fresh is best. Substitute celery leaves if lovage isn’t something you are familiar with.
NOTE: Choose fresh flat green beans, if possible, that are firm (with no soft spots) and snap when you beak them in two. These are the beans that taste best in meals.
How to cook Flat Green Beans Soup?
1st: Sauté onion, carrot and pepper in oil. Add in green beans, tomatoes and water and bring to a boil.
2nd: Let simmer until cooked, then season with sea salt and fresh lovage. Let cool down and serve.
What is Lovage plant?
Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a herb in the Apiaceae family — the same family as parsley, celery, and even carrots. It has a strong, celery-like aroma and taste, and has been used for culinary and medicinal purposes for centuries, all across Europe (especially the Balkans, Austria and Germany). If you have no access to Lovage spice, substitute with celery leaves, however lovage has a distinctive flavor, that cannot be entirely replicated.
Rustic Italian Flat Green Beans Soup
Ingredients
- 300 g flat green beans, Romano beans
- 4 tbsp. tomatoes, chopped
- 1 medim onion, minced
- 1 medium carrot, sliced
- 2 tbsp. lovage, minced
- 1 small red pepper, sliced
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 liter cold water, or more if needed
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- First, in a large soup pot with lid, sauté onion, carrot, and red pepper in oil until soft and translucent. Stir frequently.
- In the meantime, clean flat beans by removing the edges on both sides. Cut the beans in two.
- Next, add beans to the pot, together with tomatoes, pour water and bring to a boil. Let simmer until beans are fully cooked.
- Remove from stove top and sprinkle finely minced lovage on top. Season with salt to taste. Let cool and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Delicious soup, we used celery and it was great.