Greek Bean Soup Recipe (Fasolada) for a Taste of the Mediterranean
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Treat yourself and close family and friends to a flavorsome and nutritious meal with our Greek-inspired bean soup recipe (fasolada), and bring more than a generous mouthful of Greek, Cypriot, and Mediterranean magic into your home kitchen.
Greek Bean Soup Recipe
The Mediterranean region, and especially Greece and Cyprus, are renowned for countless dishes and foods that bring bold, satisfying flavors to the dinner table, without having to spend hours in the kitchen preparing them.
Fasolada is very simple to make, yet from the first spoonful is a real stomach-pleaser with its rich flavor and thick consistency. Even a small bowl of this hearty bean soup will have you filled and energized for hours on end.
What is Fasolada?
Very simply, fasolada is a wholesome soup consisting of white beans, olive oil, and various vegetables and seasonings, depending on what region or country you’re in.
Associated most closely with Greek cuisine, fasolada is also common in Cypriot cuisine and throughout other Mediterranean cuisines.
From the shores of Portugal in Northeast Europe to the roaring heat of Levant and North Africa and the likes of Egyptian cuisine, variations of bean soup are both plentiful and beloved.
Fasolada is so often packed with nutrients, due to the use of white beans and many different vegetables, including tomato, carrot, celery, and onion, among many others.
As fasolada is a soup, it is very easy to prepare a large batch of it, making it an ideal dish to feed a large number of people at dinner parties or family gatherings. As family coming together over food is so important in Mediterranean culture, especially in the likes of Greece, it should come as no surprise fasolada is often referred to as the ‘national food of the Greeks.’
Soup Ingredients
To get started with fasolada, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Beans – 3 cans of Cannellini Beans (400g/15oz each can)
- Liquid from the Canned Beans (Aquafaba) – 300ml (1 and 1/4 cup)
- Tomatoes – 3 medium tomatoes
- Red Onions – 2 medium red onions
- Carrot – 2 medium carrots
- Olive Oil – 100 ml (7 tbsp)
- Celery – 3 celery stalks
- Tomato Paste – 1 tbsp
- Paprika – 1 tsp
- Salt – 1 tsp, to taste
- Black Pepper – 1/2 tsp, to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – First, prep the vegetables. Peel the tomatoes (optionally) and then dice the tomatoes, onions, carrots, and celery.
Step 2 – In a pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil, the onion, and the salt. Sautee for 3 minutes, stirring often.
Step 3 – After 2 minutes, add the carrots and the celery, and sautee everything for 5 minutes.
Step 4 – Next, add the tomatoes and the tomato paste.
Proceed to sautee all the ingredients for 8 minutes until everything begins to meld together, as shown below.
Step 5 – Add the beans and 1 and 1/4 cup of liquid to the mixture.
Then, add the black pepper and paprika.
Step 6 – Finally, with all the ingredients now in your cooking pot, bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
Step 7 – Once your fasolada has a gorgeous orange color and thick consistency, you’re ready to serve. Ladle the bean soup into bowls, and either serve it as it is or top it with a little parsley. A side of soft, crusty bread to dip into the rich, luscious soup is always a good idea for your dinner guests too.
Each mouthful roars with rich, tart, and both sweet and savory flavor, while the thick sauce cradles the soft beans as they melt in the mouth.
You are guaranteed a household of full bellies after serving us this Greek classic! Great for family dinners, house parties, and potlucks, you can also save a bowl or two for the following day and take it to work with a couple of slices of bread.
Serving Suggestions
Crumbled Feta – Try some feta, or other white cheese, on top if you want to give you and your guests another option.
Bread – Naturally, as with all hot soups, a hearty side of sliced or grilled bread is great for dipping. Try pita bread if you want to keep things Greek.
Greek Platter – Fasolada is very filling, but if you did want to host a Greek night, you could serve it as a starter or side alongside a larger platter of meats, kebabs, bread, and salad.
Do as the Greeks do, and make food that delivers maximum flavor with minimum effort! Delicious and wholesome food doesn’t have to be complicated, and the cuisines of the Mediterranean is living proof of that mantra.
Greek Bean Soup Fasolada Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 3 cans of Cannellini Beans 400g/15oz each can
- 300 ml 1 and 1/4 cup liquid from the canned beans (aquafaba)
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 2 medium red onions
- 2 medium carrots
- 100 ml 7 tbsp olive oil
- 3 celery stalks
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables (optionally, peel the tomatoes and dice the tomatoes, onions, carrots, and celery).
- In a pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil, the onion, and the salt. Sautee for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the carrots and the celery, and sauté everything for another 5 minutes.
- Next, add the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Proceed to sautee all the ingredients for another 8 minutes until everything begins to meld together, as shown below.
- Add the drained beans and 1 and 1/4 cup of the liquid from the canned beans (called aquafaba) to the mixture. Then, add the black pepper and paprika.
- Finally, with all the ingredients now in your cooking pot, bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Once your fasolada has a gorgeous orange/red color and thick consistency, you’re ready to serve. Ladle the bean soup into bowls, and either serve it as it is or top it with a little parsley. A side of soft, crusty bread to dip into the rich, luscious soup is always a good idea for your dinner guests too.
You Might Also Like to Read
- Greek Cypriot-Inspired Moussaka (Eggplant “Lasagna”) Recipe
- Moldovan Zeama Recipe (Chicken Noodle Soup)
Save and Pin for Later
For a Mediterranean soup that is loaded with heart and flavor, keep our fasolada recipe for safekeeping, pinned to one of your boards.
Contributor: Efimia is a home cook and teacher, knowledgable of dishes and cuisines across Europe, who has been feeding her beloved family and friends with her hearty home cooking for over four decades.
