Fasolada – Greek White Bean Soup Recipe
Fasolada is a thick Greek soup made with white beans, vegetables, and olive oil, considered one of the country’s classic home-style dishes. In Greece it often appears in winter as a hearty meal for several days, served with bread and olives. Its flavor is a bit similar to Polish bean soup, but it’s lighter, more tomato-forward, and fragrant with herbs.
Fasolada is a classic of Greek home cooking: simple ingredients, lots of olive oil, and a deep, comforting flavor that gets even better the next day. It’s naturally vegan, very filling, and perfect for cooking a big pot once and eating for several meals.
Chef's tips
Don’t salt the beans at the very beginning, as this can slow down their cooking and keep the skins tough. If you’re using older dried beans, they may need more time to soften—just keep simmering gently and add a bit more water if needed. The soup should be thick and hearty, not watery.
How to serve
Serve in deep bowls with plenty of fresh parsley and a generous drizzle of good olive oil on top. Add olives, crusty bread, and optionally feta cheese on the side. It pairs well with a simple Greek-style salad or pickled vegetables.
Ingredients
- white beans dried, medium-sized beans - 300 g
- carrot cut into half-slices - 2 pieces
- celery stalks cut into slices - 2 stalks
- onion finely diced - 1 piece
- garlic finely chopped - 2 cloves
- canned tomatoes chopped or whole, peeled - 400 g
- tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
- olive oil some for cooking, some for serving - 4 tablespoons
- bay leaf - 2 pieces
- oregano dried - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste, add towards the end of cooking the beans
- pepper freshly ground
- water for cooking the soup - 1.5 l
- parsley chopped, for serving - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Rinse the beans in a sieve, cover with plenty of cold water, and leave to soak overnight (at least 8 hours) so they can swell.
- The next day, drain the water, rinse the beans again, transfer them to a pot, cover with fresh water so it comes about 3 cm above the beans, and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 30–40 minutes, until the beans start to soften but are not fully tender yet. Add a little more water if needed.
- In a second large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3–5 minutes, stirring, until it softens and turns slightly translucent without browning.
- Add the carrot, celery, and garlic. Sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften slightly.
- Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, oregano, and pour in about 1.5 liters of water. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Transfer the partially cooked beans (without the cooking water) to the pot with the vegetables and tomatoes. Simmer over low heat for 40–50 minutes, until the beans are completely tender and the soup has thickened slightly. Stir from time to time so nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Towards the end of cooking, season the soup with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves.
- Before serving, stir the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the soup and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve hot, preferably with a slice of bread.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This version of fasolada is close to what you’ll find in Greek homes: nothing fancy, but very satisfying. It’s a great recipe for cold days and for meal prep—you cook once, and you have a wholesome lunch or dinner ready for several days.
