Greek bean soup (fasolada)

This traditional Greek soup is often referred to as the national dish of Greece and is made using a simple combination of vegetables, tomato paste and stock, with the enriching addition of cannellini beans and a dash of chilli powder.

Credit: Tom Donald

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  1:45 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 70 g (¼ cup) tomato paste
• 1 tsp paprika
• ⅛ tsp chilli powder
• 2 L chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 300 g (1½ cups) dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water, drained
• chopped flat-leaf parsley and crusty bread, to serve 

Soaking time overnight

Instructions

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, onion and carrot and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add tomato paste, paprika and chilli powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to coat vegetables.

Add chicken stock and bring to the boil, then add bay leaves and beans and simmer for 1½ hours or until beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among serving bowls and serve with chopped flat-leaf parsley and crusty bread.

Photography Tom Donald.

As seen in Feast magazine, July 2014, Issue 33.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.