Greek White Bean Soup – Fasolada Recipe
Greek White Bean Soup, known as Fasolada, is a traditional and hearty Mediterranean dish packed with tender cannellini beans, fresh vegetables, and rich olive oil. This comforting soup is typically flavored with lemon juice for brightness or tomatoes for a slightly tangy variation, making it a nutritious and satisfying meal perfect for any season.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes soaking time excluded
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
White Bean Soup with Lemon
- 1½ cup (300g) dried cannellini (or navy) beans, soaked overnight in cold water, drained
- 6 cups (1½ liters) hot water
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 stalks of celery and leaves, chopped
- ½ cup (120g) olive oil
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped (optional)
- Lemon juice to taste
- Salt & pepper to taste
White Bean Soup with Tomato (additional ingredients)
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste, dissolved in 6 tablespoons water (or substitute with 6 tablespoons passata, 4 tablespoons strained canned tomatoes, or 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped)
Instructions
- Prepare Beans: Rinse the soaked beans and boil them for 2-3 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and discard this water.
- Cook Soup Base: Clean the pot thoroughly. Add the rinsed beans and 6 cups of hot water to the pot. Then add chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer gently for 1 to 1 ½ hours until the beans and vegetables are soft but not mushy. Add more hot water if the soup becomes too thick during cooking.
- Season and Mash: Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour in the olive oil. Using a fork, mash about one cup of the soup to slightly thicken it, then stir the mashed mixture back into the pot. Continue simmering uncovered for another 5 minutes. Stir well and remove from heat.
- Serve with Lemon or Tomato: For the lemon version, serve the soup with fresh lemon juice and red pepper flakes on the side. For the tomato variation, follow the same steps but add bay leaf, dried rosemary, and tomato paste dissolved in water during the simmering stage. Omit the lemon juice, and optionally serve with red pepper flakes and/or thyme.
Notes
- You can substitute the tomato paste with 6 tablespoons passata, 4 tablespoons strained canned tomatoes, or 2 fresh chopped tomatoes for the tomato version.
- For a quicker version using canned beans, replace the dried beans with 1½ cups (300g) canned cannellini or navy beans. Rinse and drain the canned beans well, add them after the vegetables are tender, and simmer for 15–20 minutes to blend flavors.
Keywords: Greek white bean soup, Fasolada, cannellini bean soup, Mediterranean soup, healthy bean soup, vegetarian soup, lemon bean soup, tomato bean soup
Find it online: https://tastybynova.com/greek-white-bean-soup-fasolada-recipe/
