Brazilian Vagem Refogada, Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic and Tomato

📍 Where this dish comes from: Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná · Iguaçu Falls
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Vagem refogada is the simple, homey way Brazilians cook green beans: blanched until just tender, then tossed in a pan of garlic, onion and a little tomato. It is a regular on weekday lunch plates next to grilled meat or fish. It is naturally low carb and ready in about 15 minutes.

Per serving: 76 calories · 4.7 g net carbs · 2 g protein · 5 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)

What You’ll Need

Brazilian Vagem Refogada, Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic and Tomato

Vagem refogada is the simple, homey way Brazilians cook green beans: blanched until just tender, then tossed in a pan of garlic, onion and a little tomato. It is a regular on weekday lunch plates next to grilled meat or fish. It is naturally low carb and ready in about 15 minutes.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes minutes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Brazilian

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 76kcal

Ingredients

• 10 ounces fresh green beans trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 small tomato seeded and chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon salt plus more for the cooking water
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

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Instructions

• Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until bright green and just tender. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
• Add the tomato and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it softens into a light sauce.
• Add the green beans and salt and toss for 2 to 3 minutes, until heated through and coated with the garlic and tomato.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

Notes

Blanching first keeps the beans bright green and evenly cooked, so the sauté only needs a few minutes. Do not cover the pan once the beans go in, or they will turn dull and soft. Frozen cut green beans work too; add them straight to the skillet and cook a few minutes longer.

Chef's Tip: Stir in a beaten egg at the end and let it set in soft curds for vagem com ovo, a popular quick variation in Brazilian homes.

Keto Swap: No swap is needed; green beans are one of the lower-carb vegetables on the Brazilian table. Serve them with cauliflower rice instead of white rice to keep the whole plate keto.

Success Tip: Add some crispy bacon bits or a handful of grated Parmesan to win over children who are unsure about green vegetables.

Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 76kcal | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Fiber: 2.4g

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About This Dish

Vagem is the Portuguese word for a pod, and in Brazil it is the everyday name for green beans. Green beans are the young, unripe pods of the common bean, the same species as the dried beans Brazilians eat every day. Refogar, the technique of starting a dish with garlic and onion in hot fat, is the backbone of Brazilian home cooking and is used for rice, beans, greens and vegetables alike. Vagens are also chopped into Brazilian salads, savory pies and the creamy salada de maionese. Because they are inexpensive and quick to cook, green beans are a staple of the prato feito, the set lunch served in diners across the country.

This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 8: Vegetables & Sides (Iguaçu Falls). See all Brazilian recipes