Fasolada is often called the national dish of Greece. It is a bean soup built for centuries of Lenten fasting and lean winters, made without meat, and it still tastes rich and satisfying on the strength of good olive oil, sweet carrots, and beans cooked low and slow until creamy.
The method is not complicated, but it rewards patience. Dried white beans simmer gently with onion, carrot and celery, plus tomato and a good amount of olive oil, until the broth thickens into something almost stew-like and the beans practically melt on the spoon. Many cooks add salt late, believing early salting toughens bean skins.
Finish each bowl with crumbled feta, a few Kalamata olives and a final generous drizzle of olive oil, the way it is done all over Greece. Gigantes Plaki (recipe on the site) takes a different route to a similar destination, and Ribollita (recipe on the site) is the Tuscan cousin of the same bean-soup instinct.
Fasolada Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) dried small white beans (navy or cannellini), soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, or 2 fresh tomatoes, grated
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon (optional, to taste)
- Crumbled feta, Kalamata olives, and crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Place in a large pot, cover with fresh water by 2 inches, bring to a boil, and boil hard for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse again.
- In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Return the beans to the pot along with the tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, and 6 cups water or broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, until the beans are completely tender and the broth has thickened slightly. Add more water if it looks dry.
- Season generously with salt and pepper in the last 15 minutes of cooking; adding salt too early can toughen the bean skins.
- Remove the bay leaf, stir in lemon juice if using, and taste and adjust seasoning.
- Ladle into bowls, finish with a generous drizzle of good olive oil, and serve with crumbled feta, olives, and crusty bread.
Enjoy our recipes? Add Maria’s Cookbook as a preferred source on Google to see more of our content in your search results.
