Fassolada (or fassoulada, as the peasants call it), is a hearty navy beans stew, or soup if you like and is considered to be the national food of the Greeks.

Fassolada with pita bread, tuna and Kalamata olives image

In this stew (or soup) a few vegetables, such as carrots, potato, onion, garlic and celery are added and cooked in a simple tomato sauce.

Greek food is simple with a few spices but full of flavour which comes from the amazing Greek olive oil, used in all Greek dishes.

From all the dried legumes, fassolia (beans) are my favourite. According to the principles of the Mediterranean Diet, we should eat dried legumes at least three times a week in order to benefit from its health effects.

Nutritional Analysis:

No cholesterol – Low in sodium – High in dietary fiber – Very high in vitamin A – Very high in vitamin B6 – High in vitamin C

Calories per serving: about 300

Fassolada Ingredients

Navy or other white beans
Extra virgin olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Carrots O
Potato
Celery stalks
Fresh ripe tomatoes or passata
Tomato paste
Sea salt
Freshly grated black pepper
Vegetable broth or vegetable bouillon

How to make Fassolada

Soak the beans in water from the previous night.

Drain the water and place the beans in a pot with fresh water.

Boil for a while and remove any froth which arises. Drain once again.

In a pot heat the olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds.

Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, spices and mix.

Add the tomato and the tomato paste and the vegetable broth. (If you don’t have any, you can add a vegetable bouillon dissolved in hot water. Add more water if needed to cover it and make it soupy.

Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until soft, for about an hour and a half, mixing regularly. Add more water if necessary.

After about an hour, remove lid and cook uncovered until the sauce thickens, stirring regularly.

You can find my Greek recipes in my cookbooks «More Than A Greek Salad», and«Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!» both available on all Amazon stores. Read more here.

Fassolada, Greek Bean Soup

Yield: 4

Fassolada, is a hearty and healthy navy beans soup (or stew if you like) and is considered to be the national food of the Greeks.

Ingredients

250 grams (8.8 oz) navy or other white beans
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 big onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
3 carrots, sliced in rounds and halved
1 big potato, cut into cubes
3 - 4 celery stalks, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
5 fresh tomatoes or 1 passata
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp sea salt
Freshly grated black pepper
1 organic vegetable bouillon or vegetable broth
4 cups water

Instructions

Soak the beans in water from the previous night.
Drain the water and place the beans in a pot with fresh water Boil for a while and remove any froth which arises Drain once again.
In a pot heat the olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds.
Then add the potatoes, carrots, celery and spices and mix
Add the passata, the tomato paste and the vegetable broth (or a bouillon dissolved in hot water) Add more water if necessary, to cover the beans.
Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until soft, for about an hour and a half, mixing regularly Add more water if necessary.
After about an hour, remove lid and cook uncovered until the sauce thickens, stirring regularly.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 304Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 0mgSodium 2118mgCarbohydrates 38gFiber 9gSugar 9gProtein 9g

"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."

Fassolia (Beans recipes)

More recipes with beans

Fassolia Ηantres Giahni or Barbounofassoula (Stewed Borlotti Beans)

Hantres also called barbounofassoula, is a type of kidney bean with a pink speckled skin that turns brown when cooked.

Fassolia Piaz (Greek White Beans Salad)

Fassolia Piaz are white beans boiled and made into a salad. There are a lot of variations of this salad but we like it with tomatoes, onion, tuna, parsley, served with olive oil and lemon juice.

Vegan Crunchy Bean Salad

A lovely vegan bean salad with crunchy vegetables! Most of the vegetable in this salad give a lovely crunch, so more time is required for chewing them, making the meal very filling.

Fassolada me Loukaniko (Stewed Beans with Sausage)

Fassolada me Loukaniko (stewed beans with sausage), is a rustic, hearty, nutritious and comforting Greek bean stew which is perfect for the cold days ahead of us. The recipe is similar to the classic dish but the addition of the sausage adds much more flavour.

Psorokostena and Fassolada sti Gastra

Louvi - Mavrommatika (Black eyed beans) in tomato sauce

keftedes me Mavrommatika (Black-eyed Pea Patties)

Louvi - Black eyed Peas with Chard

Louvi is a traditional Cypriot dish of black eyed peas, with onions, garlic, parsley and silverbeet or Swiss chard, seasoned with salt and pepper and served with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.