Fasolada is the soul of Greek cuisine: an ancestral white bean soup that combines the mildness of legumes with the character of Mediterranean vegetables. Its preparation is straightforward but requires patience to achieve that thick, comforting broth that has fed generations for centuries.
Ingredients
How many are you cooking for?
Original recipe for 4 servings
- 300 g dried white beans (or 600 g canned)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 200 g natural crushed tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 liter vegetable broth or water
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Juice of half a lemon
- Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Step by step
Follow the timeline: technique icon, time and temperature when relevant.
- Step 1 Prep 20 min
Place dried white beans in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water, and leave to soak overnight; the next day, drain well and transfer to a wide pot with a liter of cold water and the fresh rosemary sprig, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium when simmering begins to cook for twenty minutes until tender but intact.
- Step 2 Pan 8 min
While the beans cook, heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat, add the finely chopped onion and crushed garlic cloves, and slowly sauté for eight minutes, stirring occasionally until completely translucent and fragrant, avoiding browning to prevent bitterness in the base.
- Step 3 Pan 5 min
Add peeled carrots cut into small cubes along with zucchini in thick slices, stir vigorously to coat in oil, and cook for five minutes over medium-high heat to allow the vegetables to release their natural moisture and lightly caramelize.
- Step 4 Pot / simmer 15 min
Stir in the natural crushed tomatoes, cleaned bay leaf, and remaining hot vegetable broth, mix well to deglaze the caramelized fond from the bottom of the pot, and cover partially to simmer over low heat for fifteen minutes, allowing the vegetables to soften and the broth to develop body.
- Step 5 Pot / simmer
Add the already cooked and drained beans, adjust salt and black pepper to taste, let it simmer gently covered for ten minutes to fuse flavors and naturally thicken the broth, remove the bay leaf, turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice just before serving, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.