How to Make Fasolada

Name: Fasolada
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups dried white beans, soaked overnight (or 2 cans cannellini beans); 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to finish; 1 onion, diced; 2 carrots, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cup crushed tomatoes; 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock; 1 bay leaf; Salt and pepper, to taste; Fresh parsley, chopped

Fasolada is a hearty Greek soup of white beans simmered with tomatoes, carrots, celery, and olive oil until thick and satisfying. You make it by simmering soaked beans until tender, building a vegetable base, and combining them together for a long, gentle simmer finished with a generous pour of raw olive oil.

It's widely called the national dish of Greece, not because it's fancy but because it's the opposite: cheap, filling, and eaten across the country regardless of region or income, especially during Lent and winter months when meat was traditionally scarce or avoided.

It's proof that a handful of pantry ingredients, treated with patience and good olive oil, can be a complete and deeply satisfying meal.

Greek fasolada white bean soup

What Actually Matters

Finishing the soup with a generous drizzle of raw, good quality olive oil right before serving, rather than cooking all the oil in from the start, is what actually gives fasolada its characteristic body and flavor. Skip that finishing step and the soup tastes thinner and flatter than it should.

The Recipe

Serves 4. Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 45 minutes. Total time: 1 hour.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried white beans, soaked overnight (or 2 cans cannellini beans)
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to finish
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped

Method

If using dried beans, simmer the soaked beans in fresh water for 45 to 60 minutes until tender, then drain.
Heat the olive oil and saute the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until softened, about 8 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, and beans.
Simmer 30 to 40 minutes until the soup thickens and the vegetables are tender.
Season with salt and pepper, then finish with a drizzle of raw olive oil and the parsley.

Nutrition (Per Serving, Estimated)

Calories	Protein	Fat	Carbs
310	14g	10g	42g

These values are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not lab verified figures.

Tips, Variations, and Storage

Canned beans cut the cooking time significantly if you're short on time, just add them straight to the vegetable base without the initial simmer. Fasolada is a good make ahead soup and actually improves after a day in the refrigerator. It keeps for up to five days refrigerated and freezes well for up to three months.