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    Home » Recipes » Sides and salad recipes

    Mashed green beans (boereboontjies)

    Published: Apr 12, 2019 · Modified: Nov 15, 2023 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Jump to recipe

    In South Africa, a roast dinner just wouldn't be complete without these delicious mashed green beans, or boereboontjies. Why not try them for yourself with your next roast and see what I mean?

    A red serving dish filled with mashed green beans next to a wooden serving spoon.

    **As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.**

    Jump to:
    • Mashed Green Beans
    • Where did mashed green beans originate?
    • What you will need
    • What to do
    • Mashed green beans FAQ
    • Save for later
    • Other vegetable recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    Mashed Green Beans

    This recipe for green beans is a deliciously different way of preparing beans that I am sure your family will love.

    Mashed green beans are made by boiling together green beans, potatoes and onion and then mashing them up with lashings of butter and freshly ground black pepper. They are served as a side dish with any roast meat.

    This way of preparing beans can be compared to Irish colcannon, which uses cabbage instead of beans, or the British bubble and squeak where leftover vegetables are mixed with mashed potatoes and then fried until the underneath is brown and crispy.

    It is also a great way of getting your children to eat their greens.  When my children were younger they turned their noses up at anything resembling healthy vegetables. But they were more than happy to wolf down huge helpings of mashed green beans.

    Where did mashed green beans originate?

    Mashed green beans or 'boereboontjies' (pronounced boo-ra bwoyn-keys) is a traditional South African dish, originating from the early Dutch settlers, most of whom were farmers. Boere is Afrikaans word for farmer and boonjties means beans, so boereboontjies simply translates as Farmers' Beans.

    Because farming was such a hard life and all manual labour in those days, hearty, starchy food was a way of keeping the workers well-nourished during their working day. Mixing vegetables with potatoes was one way of adding an extra helping of starch into the diet.

    Also, money was scarce in those days, and this method of cooking the beans was a way to make the vegetables stretch to feed more mouths!

    But whatever the reason, I'm glad that this recipe has survived the test of time. And I hope you agree with me that these beans will make a welcome addition to your mealtimes.

    Closeup of a red serving dish filled with mashed green beans.

    What you will need

    Equipment

    You certainly won't need much by way of equipment to make these mashed green beans. Just a sharp knife, a chopping board, a colander and a saucepan (with a lid).

    Ingredients

    **You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions on how to make these mashed green beans on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

    This recipe will be sufficient for 4 to 6 people as a side dish.

    Ingredients for mashed green beans.
    These are the ingredients you will need for making mashed green beans.

    There are only three main ingredients:

    • Green beans - topped and tailed and cut into half-inch lengths
    • Potatoes - peeled and cut into large chunks
    • Onion - peeled and quartered or cut into 8 pieces depending on the size.

    The quantities don't really matter - you just need to get the ratio correct. One quantity of beans, the same quantity of potatoes and half a quantity of onions.

    So for 300 grams of beans you will need 300 grams of potatoes and 150 grams of onions.

    You will also need a lump of butter to mash with the vegetables, and salt and pepper for seasoning.

    This dish benefits from lots of pepper so start off with what you think you will need and then taste. I can practically guarantee that you will add more (I always do 🙂 )

    What to do

    Start off by preparing the vegetables, and that's basically all the work done.

    Beans, potatoes and onions in a pan of water, ready to be boiled.

    Place the chopped vegetables in a pan of cold salted water. Bring it to a boil, cover with a lid and then let it boil for 15 to 20 minutes (or until the potatoes are soft enough to mash.

    Potatoes, beans and onions in a colander.

    Drain the vegetables into a colander and then put them back into the pan.

    A saucepan of beans mashed with potatoes and onions.

    Add the butter and a good grinding of black pepper and mash until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and black pepper if necessary.

    Tip - don't try to mash this using a potato ricer. The texture will be wrong. You are looking for a nice chunky mix.

    Serve as an accompaniment to any roast meat.

    You can adapt this recipe by substituting an equal quantity (by weight not volume) of washed, chopped spinach for the beans. It is equally delicious. (Add extra pepper to this one - the spinach loves it)!

    You can also make this recipe with carrots, but go easy on the black pepper with this one!

    If you'd like to be notified of any new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? As a thank-you gift, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    Mashed green beans in a white dish on a green checked cloth.

    Mashed green beans FAQ

    Can I freeze mashed green beans?

    Absolutely! These beans freeze really well. I always look out for specials on beans in the supermarket, take them home and cook up a big batch. Then I freeze them in plastic bags, in sufficient quantities for one meal.

    To use them from frozen, just tip the frozen beans into a saucepan on a very low heat. Stir occasionally, until the beans have defrosted. Then increase the heat slightly until the beans are piping hot. Serve immediately. Do not refreeze.

    If you have made this dish with spinach or carrots, you can freeze and defrost it in the same way.

    Can I double up on this recipe?

    Yes - that is what I tend to do if I have bought a large quantity of beans. Just keep the ratio correct, i.e. 1 quantity of beans, the same quantity of potatoes and half a quantity of onions.

    Save for later

    If you would like to try these mashed green beans, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    Other vegetable recipes

    You may also like these other vegetable recipes:

    • Baby Marrows with Tomato and Onion - a delicious way of preparing zucchini
    • Potatoes Romanoff - a deliciously creamy potato and onion casserole that’s made with only four ingredients.
    • Mushy Peas - a traditional British dish - normally served with fish and chips, but just as good with sausages.
    • Cheesy sweetcorn fritters
    • Glazed carrots (or Vichy carrots) glazed in brown sugar and butter.
    • Baked cauliflower and broccoli cheese - made with cauliflower and broccoli that have been baked in the oven.
    • Buttered cabbage with leeks and mustard seeds - buttery cabbage, sweet leeks with a slight tang from mustard seeds, this recipe transforms a boring old cabbage into something special.

    📋The recipe

    A red serving dish filled with mashed green beans next to a wooden serving spoon.

    Mashed green beans (boereboontjies)

    In South Africa, a roast dinner just wouldn't be complete without these delicious mashed green beans, or boereboontjies. Why not try them for yourself with your next roast and see what I mean?
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Side Dish
    South African
    Calories 153
    Prep 10 minutes minutes
    Cook 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 - 6 servings as a side dish
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
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    5 from 4 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Saucepan
    • Colander
    • Potato masher
    • Sharp Knife
    • Chopping Board

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb / 450 green beans topped and tailed and cut into half-inch lengths
    • 2 large potatoes Cut into large chunks
    • 1 large onion Cut into large chunks
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 ounce / 25 grams butter
    • Ground black pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Wash the beans, snip the ends off and then cut them into 1cm pieces
      1 lb / 450 green beans
    • Peel the onions and potatoes and chop them coarsely
      2 large potatoes, 1 large onion
    • Place the potatoes, beans and onions into a pot of cold water with the salt
      1 teaspoon salt
    • Bring to the boil, then cover the pan with a lid and boil for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft enough to mash.
    • Remove the pan from the heat and drain the vegetables through a colander.
    • Add butter and plenty of ground black pepper.
      1 ounce / 25 grams butter, Ground black pepper to taste
    • Mash, taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
    • Serve hot as a side dish alongside a roast.

    Notes

    Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your potatoes.  The dish will be ready when the potatoes are soft enough to mash.
    Don't try to use a potato ricer to mash the vegetables or the texture will be wrong.  You are looking for a nice chunky texture.
    I like to add a lot of black pepper because I think it adds to the flavour.  You can adjust the pepper to your own taste.

    Nutrition

    Calories - 153kcal | Carbohydrates - 29.3g | Protein - 4.5g | Fat - 3.2g | Saturated Fat - 1.9g | Cholesterol - 8mg | Sodium - 617mg | Potassium - 754mg | Fiber - 7.7g | Sugar - 4.6g | Calcium - 67mg | Iron - 2mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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    About VJ

    In my previous life, I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, and you'll probably find a little South African influence creeping in due to the many years I spent there.

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    Comments

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    1. Val Pascau

      November 28, 2022 at 8:33 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for your South African Recipes. You have taken me back to my childhood in South Africa which I left 17 years ago. Your food is outstanding! Everything I have tried from your website has turned out brilliant. Thank you

      Reply
      • VJ

        November 28, 2022 at 4:45 pm

        5 stars
        Aw, thank you! I love to hear when people enjoy my recipes. I test everything out on hubby before publishing - if he doesn't like it, it doesn't make the grade!

        Reply
    2. Celeste Walker

      May 18, 2020 at 7:56 am

      5 stars
      This is a family favourite in my home, we absolutely loved your mashed green beans (boereboontjies).
      Served with fried sausage and sweet carrots, was delicious, thank you.

      Reply
      • VJ

        May 18, 2020 at 11:31 am

        Thank you for a lovely comment Celeste. I'm so pleased you enjoyed the beans. It's my favourite way of preparing green beans too. In fact it was one of the first recipes I ever posted.

        Reply

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