Fasolada Traditional Greek Beans Food

FASOLADA (GREEK WHITE BEAN SOUP)

Steps:

• Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a soup pot over medium high heat.
• Sauté onion, celery, carrot, garlic and salt for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add tomato paste and stir for one minute.
• Add crushed tomatoes, beans, broth, oregano, rosemary, chili flakes and bay leaves. Stir well. Bring to low boil then simmer on low to medium heat for 30-40 minutes, until carrots are soft.
• Remove one cup of beans to a bowl and mash with a spoon. Stir back into pot.
• Add remaining 4 Tbsp olive oil and whisk into soup.
• Serve in bowl with garnishings (see note 2).

HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL GREEK BEAN SOUP (FASOLADA)

Steps:

• Pick over and rinse the beans, discard malformed or stone-like ones. Soak the beans for at least 8 hours or overnight (preferably).
• The next morning, drain and rinse the beans. Place them in a large pot with just enough fresh water to cover them. Bring to a boil. You will notice that white foam will rise to the surface of the water. Remove it with a spoon and then drain the beans in a colander. (This step is necessary to get rid of the impurities and it also makes the beans much easier on your stomach!)
• Place the beans back in the pot with the six cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 30 minutes. While the beans cook, prep the vegetables.
• Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, ⅓ cup of olive oil and bay leaves to the pot. Simmer, partially covered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Next, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, potato and the seasoning. Cover the pot partially and continue simmering for about 30 minutes more, or, until the beans are very tender and the soup is thick and creamy (*see note). Check to see if a little more liquid is needed, and if it does add a little warm water. The consistency of the soup should be thick.
• Just before removing from the heat, discard the bay leaves and stir in the vinegar and the remaining ⅓ cup of olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Serve hot with some hearty bread, seasoned olives and Greek Feta cheese.

FASOLADA - TRADITIONAL GREEK BEANS RECIPE

Steps:

• We put the onions and some olive oil in a medium size pot. We cook until softens. We add the beans and we cook for 3-4 minutes.
• We add the water, we cover the pot, we reduce to medium heat and we boil for 30 minutes.
• We add the celerey and the carrots and we continue to cook for 40 more minutes. It's important during the cooking to always have enough water in the pot and to stir regularly.
• We check if our beans and vegetables are ready (soft when bitten). When ready, we add salt and pepper. We stir. We serve with 1 table spoon of olive oil and lemon juice. Enjoy!
• We can accompany this dish with: black olives, spring onions choppped and salted, any salted meat or fish, smoked herring or country made sausage.
• A link to our blog with the recipe: http://littlecookingtips.blogspot.com/2012/01/white-bean-soup-fasolada-traditional.html.

FASOLADA (GREEK BEAN SOUP)

Steps:

• Cook the beans until tender. Drain.
• In a soup pot, add beans and enough water to cover beans plus 3 extra cups of water. Bring to a simmer. Add remaining ingredients, season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer until vegetables are cooked through, and soup has thickened, about 20 minutes. (greeks like soft veggies, you may want your soup cooked slightly less if you like crispier veggies). This soup only improves over the next few days, so go ahead and make it way before you plan to eat it.
• Note: At the table, I like to serve this with the choice of regular Tabasco, and the green (jalapeno) version, for people to add to their bowls as per their liking. I like a couple of drops of the red Tabasco, and a bit heavier on the green for more herbal notes. Also, for a more European flavour, a generous sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese at the table is divine.