Fasolada (Greek White Bean Soup)

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This easy Fasolada (Greek White Bean Soup) is hearty, comforting and packed with simple Mediterranean flavors. White beans are simmered with onion, carrots, celery, tomato paste and herbs until the broth is rich and flavorful, then finished with lemon, parsley and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: Greek

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Servings

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $10

Ingredients

For the Soup

2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 Carrots (diced or sliced thin)
2 Celery stalks (diced)
1 Onion (diced) - Yellow or white onion
1 tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp Black pepper
4 Garlic cloves (minced)
4 tbsp Tomato paste
1 tsp Dried oregano
2 Bay leaves
¼ tsp Red pepper flakes - Optional
2 cans White beans (drained and rinsed) - Use 14 or 15 oz cans of white kidney, cannellini or great northern beans
4 cup Vegetable broth - You may need more, see note

For Finishing and Garnish

Chopped parsley
Lemon wedges
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Grated Parmesan - Optional

Instructions

Sauté the Vegetables. Heat 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add 2 Carrots (diced or sliced thin), 2 Celery stalks (diced), 1 Onion (diced), 1 tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp Black pepper. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened but not browned. Stir in 4 Garlic cloves (minced) and cook for another minute.
Build the Flavor. Add 4 tbsp Tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Don't rush this part. Cooking the tomato paste until it darkens slightly helps add depth to the soup. Stir in 1 tsp Dried oregano and 2 Bay leaves, along with ¼ tsp Red pepper flakes if you're using them.
Simmer. Add 2 cans White beans (drained and rinsed) along with 4 cup Vegetable broth. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. This gives the beans time to absorb all those flavors while the broth reduces slightly.
Blend Lightly. Remove the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup for just a few seconds. Alternatively, mash about 1-2 cups of the beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. You aren't trying to purée the soup. The goal is simply to break down enough beans to give the broth some body while leaving plenty of whole beans intact. If your soup becomes too thick, stir in some additional vegetable broth.
Season and Serve. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Ladle the fasolada into bowls and finish each serving with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and chopped fresh parsley. Serve with additional lemon wedges at the table and optional grated Parmesan.

Notes

Key Ingredient Notes:

Tomato paste: Adds concentrated tomato flavor, color and richness without turning this into a heavily tomato-based soup. This soup should not be thick. It’s more of a tomato broth situation.
White Beans: Great Northern, white kidney, navy beans, butter beans or Cannellini beans all work well here. You could even use chickpeas. Canned beans make my version especially quick and convenient. The beans make this soup hearty and filling, but not heavy.
Vegetable Broth: I am using vegetable broth here, but you can totally use chicken broth if that’s what you prefer or what you have on hand.

Tips for Success:

Take your time with the aromatics. Onion, carrot and celery provide much of the flavor in such a simple soup, so give them the full 8 minutes to soften. Starting fasolada by sautéing the vegetables in olive oil also helps create a richer, more concentrated base.
Cook the tomato paste. Adding tomato paste directly to the broth works, but frying it briefly with the vegetables concentrates its flavor and takes away some of its raw acidity.
Keep extra broth nearby. Different brands and varieties of canned beans can behave a little differently. The soup also continues to thicken as it sits, so don't be afraid to add another splash of broth until you get the consistency you want.

Nutrition