Saturday, February 18, 2012

Fasolada (Traditional Greek Bean Soup)




Fasolada is one of the most basic dishes of Greek cuisine. To make this soup you’ll need beans, onions, tomato paste, celery, carrots, olive oil, salt and pepper. This means that it is made from materials that you can find everywhere. The preparation method is very easy because all ingredients just need to boil together. Fasolada is one of the foods that none of us appreciated as a child, but growing up we realized its nutritional value and mum was right to insist on finishing our whole plate.

Some combinations that are tasty and healthy follow:
With feta cheese. Apart from the wonderful flavor that feta cheese gives it also supplements the dish with amino acids, known to be the basic protein components.
With olives. They provide mono-unsaturated fats in the body and vitamin E. The ideal way to serve olives is with lemon. Vitamin c that lemons contain enhances significantly the absorption of beans’ iron.
With pickles. Pickles contain fiber, salt and little energy (about 30 calories a portion). Prefer the pickles that are preserved in oil, rather than brine.
With salted fish. Three pieces of salted fish provide 150 calories. Before serving, wash them very well, because they are kept in too much salt.
With raw salad. The salad, because of the fiber that contains, facilitates bowel function, so the beans cause less indigestion.
 






Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 cup of beans (200 gr)
1 tbsp baking soda
olive oil
1 large onion
2 carrots
4 tbsp tomato sauce
1 / 3 tsp black pepper
1 / 2 tsp red pepper
1 bunch celery
1.5 tbsp salt

Optional
1 small chili pepper
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
some lemon
 

How to Make

Soak beans overnight with little baking soda in plenty of water. Next day, put onion and celery in the chopper and chop the vegetables (carrots and peppers optional). At the same time drain and beans. Put olive oil in a pot to cover the bottom well, and turn on the stove. When olive oil gets hot, add onion and celery, after 1-2 minutes carrots and peppers (personally I prefer everything chopped in small cubes) and leave for a while to soften all vegetables. Then add beans, black and red pepper. Then, add the tomato sauce and stir well. Fill the pot with water until it covers completely the beans and let it boil until tender. 
 
In the pressure cooker it takes 25 minutes from the time the valve whistles, and a simple pan around one and a half hour.When beans are ready, add 1.5 tsp salt and a little lemon juice and stir well. 
Find it in Greek here.
 

65 comments:

  1. I love this soup, it is so delicious, hmmmmm. Perfect with a slice of freshly baked bread :-)I love the step by step recipe. Great post

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    1. Thank u so much! Frash baked bread really is perfect!

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  2. Great soup! That pressure cooker really saves time, I should get one!

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    1. I use the pressure cooker in many dishes.. really helps a lot!

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  3. It looks hearty and delicious ! Yummy photos , too ! ;)

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  4. So healthy and comforting soup!Perfect for this weather :)

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  5. YOur recipes are exactly the type of food I love. Excellent this soup. I am craving for it now. MMmmm... Have a good day!

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  6. I love bean soup and this one looks comforting and delish.

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  7. Great soup recipe,I'm learning here use baking soda to soak the beans,thanks for sharing !!
    Ridwan

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    1. Baking soda helps beans boil faster... thank u so much!

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  8. LOVE it...I sometimes add a bit of smoked meat/ sausages; great for cold winters!

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    1. I ve seen your addition before, we arent used to it, but I think its a good combination!

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  9. it certainly looks delicious! can i know what beans are those?

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  10. We love beans at my place and this soup looks so comforting! It's healthy, wholesome and delicious!!

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  11. Dear Elpiniki, What a warm and hearty soup. It is delicious and very healthy with a good loaf of bread to go with it. Blessings my dear, Catherine xo

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    1. Thank u so much! A ggod loaf of bread is necessary!

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  12. What a delicious looking soup! Perfect for those chilly nights!

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    1. Thank u! Especially for cilly nights but not only!

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  13. I love fassolada and make it once a week, every Friday. It looks delicious.

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    1. Once a week u make fasolada? I love it, but I think u outreach me!

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  14. What a hearty and delicious soup!!! I'd love a bowl~

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  15. I love beans and bean soup. This Fasolada looks great I'm going to make it with Great Northern beans.
    Thank You.

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  16. Hey, thanks for visiting my blog. I have eaten Greek food only once when a friend took me to a Greek Restaurant in Australia. Have never imagined making some at home. Glad to have found you. Following you too

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    1. Thank u! Hope u find my recipes interesting and put a little bit of Greece in your table!

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  17. healthy and delicious soup...looks comforting

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  18. This looks so yummy,I am cold today and could just eat some :)

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  19. I love fasulya (my husband is from Turkey, I hope you don't mind... ;) ). This looks great!

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    1. We have many dishes in common and I always find out that the names are similar too! Your fasulya is cooked in the same way?

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  20. Haven't tried this Greek Bean Soup, but it sure looks very comforting and tasty! Being a lover of bean soup, I know I will enjoy this!

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    1. Hope u try this! I m sure u ll love it, as u like bean soup!

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  21. I always have these ingredients on hand. I think I need to make this soup. I even have some feta. What a great flavor this must have.

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    1. Thank u! Hope u try this and love it! With feta its great!

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  22. What a delicious soup recipe....loved all the flavors oing in....bookmarked!

    Http://Onlyfishrecipes.blogspot.com/

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  23. This looks lovely. It sounds like it would be filling but at the same time, you wouldn't feel too guilty!

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  24. I love your traditional bean soup...Fasolada! I haven't put my vegetables through the food processor, bu will try it that way. It makes the soup thicker, and heartier. Love the way your soup turned out. Absolutely delicious, and comforting, even in our South Florida chilly weather, at times!

    p.s.I got a little confused which blog of yours I joined and commented last. Just to make sure I followed this blog...maybe twice now. You are quite busy with all your wonderful blogs:DDD

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    1. Thank u so much! Sometimes I put vegies in food processor, other times I dont. It depends - as u said - whether I want the soup thicker or not!

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  25. This looks like delicious comfort food- perfect for this cold weather!

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  26. Thanks for your stopping by kothiyavunu and lending me to ur lovely space..following u too :)
    Thats a lovely soup,perfect for weather...Looks so healthy and delicious!

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  27. Hi,
    Lovely soup, the beans look so good, I can't imagine that I didn't like white beans as a kid!
    Grtz Eric

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    1. I say the same thing! I didnt like them at all!
      thank u!

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  28. what a lovely and tasty looking soup! yum!

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  29. Una receta deliciosa, me encanta!!
    Un besito :D
    http://janakitchen.blogspot.com

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  30. This soup looks very tasty. I always feel good cooking something healthy for my family and I can see the potential of this soup :D

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  31. Looks amazing. My little one is all about beans. I think this is a winner.

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  32. Thank you for the wonderful recipe and great website! Sharing this great favorite on Pinterest!

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