Fasolada: a traditional Greek white bean soup recipe

Fasolada is an amazing dish which is hardly known outside the borders of Greece. It’s a tasty soul-soothing bean, carrots and celery soup, which is widely popular in Greece.

Definitely one of the most characteristic Greek comfort foods, it is called the National Food of Greece. Yes, not the souvlaki, the tzatziki or the moussaka;

The Greek National Food is: Fasolada! We were amazed to learn that Brazil also has a bean soup called Feijoada which is their National Food as well! The Greek version however is made with white beans and does not include any meat, making it a perfect choice for vegans/vegetarians.

In Fasolada, beans are soaked in water overnight, and the next day they are cooked slowly with carrots, celery and onions, until their starch starts to thicken the soup. This is called "hiloma" in Greek cuisine. When Greeks cook lentils or beans, this is often a desired outcome. This simplest fasolada version is called "Lefki fasolada" (white fasolada). Very often, grated tomato and tomato paste are added to the soup; This is the "Kokkini fasolada" (red fasolada).

The tomato version is also delicious, and you can very easily change a white fasolada to a red fasolada just by adding the grated tomato and the tomato paste along with the celery and the carrots while cooking. Red fasolada tends to be the most popular version. But since the white fasolada is the basic recipe and you can easily turn it to a red fasolada as described (with the addition of tomato), we will provide the recipe for the white fasolada.

White fasolada is served with a tablespoon of raw extra virgin olive oil, some fresh lemon juice, and ground pepper on top of the dish. Make sure to have some good quality fresh bread on the side!

Fasolada is consumed in large quantities during the fall, winter and spring (especially before Easter since it's suitable for fasting) and is miraculous in a cold day. Fasolada is present on the Greek table at least once a month (and in many cases at least once a week!). It's served hot in the winter or in room temperature if the day is warmer. It's usually accompanied by some smoked fish, or anchovies in olive oil, or even fresh humble pieces of spring onions (sprinkled with salt). Kalamata olives is also a popular side dish. In some regions, fasolada may even be served with a meze of Horiatiko sausages (Greek sausages similar to Italian sausages).

In any case, Fasolada is one the best Greek recipes you can try. It's easy to make, it uses simple ingredients, and the result will tempt you to fill your plate again!