Fasolada: Greek White Bean Soup with Olive Oil and Tomato

Fasolada is Greek white bean soup, and it is often called the national dish of Greece. Dried beans are simmered slowly with onion, carrot, celery and tomato, then finished with a generous pour of olive oil that makes the broth rich and silky. It costs very little, feeds a crowd, and tastes even better the next day. Bean soups are a mainstay of the Lenten table, when many Greeks avoid meat and dairy.

Fasolada recipe (Greek white bean soup)

Serves: 6 servings. Prep: 20 minutes, plus overnight soaking. Cook: about 1½ hours. Total: about 2 hours, plus soaking.

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) dried white beans, such as cannellini, navy or great northern
• ½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil, such as our Rapti Koroneiki olive oil, plus more to serve
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced into rounds
• 2 celery sticks with leaves, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) chopped tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried Greek oregano (optional)
• About 8 cups (2 litres) water
• Salt and black pepper
• Juice of ½ lemon, to serve (optional)

Method

1. The night before, rinse and pick over the beans. Cover with plenty of cold water and soak in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain the beans and discard the soaking water. Put them in a large pot, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam. Drain.
3. In the same pot, warm half the olive oil and cook the onion, carrots and celery over medium heat for 8–10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the beans, tomatoes, bay leaves and about 8 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover partly and simmer for 1–1½ hours, until the beans are completely tender.
5. Stir in the remaining olive oil, the oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes until the soup thickens slightly. Mash a few beans against the side of the pot for a creamier soup.
6. Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, with bread, olives and feta on the side.

Choosing and soaking the beans

Any medium white bean works: cannellini, navy, great northern or the Greek fasolia mesaia. Buy beans from a shop with a good turnover, because very old beans can take much longer to soften. North Dakota State University Extension notes that dry beans need soaking before cooking. An overnight soak is easiest; if your kitchen is warm or you soak for longer than four hours, put the bowl in the fridge.

Short of time? NDSU describes a quick soak: cover the beans with water, bring to a boil for two to three minutes, then leave them covered off the heat for an hour before draining. Canned beans also work. Use three 15-oz (400 g) cans, rinsed, and cut the simmering time to about 30 minutes.

Cooking dried beans safely

Raw and undercooked beans contain a natural lectin, phytohaemagglutinin, that can make people ill. Red kidney beans contain the most, but Utah State University Extension recommends boiling dry beans for 10 minutes before cooking them in a slow cooker, because slow cookers may not get hot enough to destroy it. Stovetop simmering for the full cooking time is enough, and the 10-minute boil in step 2 above adds a margin of safety. Never eat beans that are still hard or chalky in the middle.

The olive oil makes the soup

Fasolada belongs to the family of Greek dishes cooked with plenty of olive oil, and it is not shy with it. Half the oil goes in at the start to soften the vegetables; the rest is stirred in near the end, where its fruity flavour stays bright. A good Koroneiki olive oil is ideal. If your beans are old and slow to soften, add the tomatoes and salt after the first 45 minutes of simmering, since acid can slow softening, and add the lemon at the table.

Variations

• Thicker: blend a ladleful of soup and stir it back in.
• Spicier: add a pinch of chilli flakes or a dried red pepper with the vegetables.
• Herby: finish with chopped parsley or celery leaves.
• Other beans: large beans become gigantes plaki; lentils make fakes, Greek lentil soup.

What to serve with fasolada

Greeks serve fasolada with crusty bread, Kalamata olives, a piece of feta, raw onion or pickles, and often a plate of horta or Greek salad. Smoked or salted fish is a traditional partner too.

Storing and reheating

Cool the soup quickly and refrigerate it within 2 hours; the USDA says leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or 3 to 4 months in the freezer for best quality. Reheat until steaming hot, adding a little water, as the beans thicken the soup as it stands.

Find the olive oil in our Greek olive oil collection, and more bean and vegetable dishes in our Greek pantry recipes.

Sources

• North Dakota State University Extension: A pocket guide to preparing pulse foods
• Utah State University Extension: Killer kidney beans (cooking dry beans safely)
• Visit Greece: Culinary traditions of Lent (ladera, bean soups, halva)
• USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety

Fasolada: frequently asked questions