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This bean soup called fasolada is perhaps one of the most traditional Greek recipes. Much loved all around Greece, it is our go-to dish for those last days of winter. The recipe comes from an old cookery book from the 1940s, called Cooking to Suit the Times by Themos Potamianos, an avid fisherman and cook.
The recipe calls for tomato paste, or tomatoes if it’s summer, reminding us of how important seasonality is in Greek cooking. We are using our tomato puree, a thick paste made made from organic summer tomatoes, hand-picked one by one. For this fasolada soup we’ve also used our small beans, harvested every year from small organic farms in Northern Greece.
Serves 4 with leftovers
250g small beans
4lt water
2 bay leaves
4 carrots
2 large red onions
1 large bunch celery leaves
4 tbsp olive oil, plus more to serve
2 tbsp tomato puree or tomato paste
Salt (to taste)
Feta cheese (to serve)
The night before soak your beans. The morning after rinse with cold water.
Place the beans in a large pot with the water and bay leaves and boil for 20-30 minutes before adding the vegetables.
In the meantime, finely chop the carrots, onions and celery leaves. Add them to your pot, along with the olive oil. Boil for another hour or so, until the beans are tender, adding more water if needed.
When the beans are tender, add the tomato puree or paste and season with salt. Boil for another 20-30 minutes, adding more water if needed.
Serve with more olive oil, crusty bread and feta cheese.
