Greek Bean Soup Recipe

How to make the classic fasoulada

If you want an easy bean soup recipe this is the one!

It’s winter as I’m writing this and currently we’re eating fasoulada, Greek bean soup, at least twice a week! We got these great, organic white beans from a friend and they’re delicious – they boil easily and get soft and mushy, unlike some shop bought beans that are so hard that even if you soak them for days and boil for hours you still need to chew them.

Here’s the way I make the soup, as we also from time to time serve in our restaurant.:

I use approximately half a liter of beans for one-two liters of soup. Soak the beans. With these great beans I have now I only soak them for a few hours, but otherwise they’ll need over night. Boil the beans (change the water!).

In another pot I’ll fry a finely copped onion lightly in a mixture of olive oil and butter. I pour over one table spoon of white flour, stir, add a bit of water and stir again. Then I add two-three big spoons of tomato puree, one and a half liter of water and one cube of bouillon. I chop a carrot and add and some celery leaves. Salt and pepper.

When the beans are almost cooked I add them to the soup and let them boil until they’re finished. Add more water if necessary.

In Greece, fasoulada is served with smoked fish on the side. Sounds disgusting, but it’s actually perfect as the salty, smoked fish balances the soft, mushy taste of the soup.

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