Fasolatha
Lynn Livanos Athan
Bean soup or fassolatha (fah-soh-LAH-tha) will be on the menu at least once a week in a Greek household. It's also a staple of the Lenten season. This recipe makes 6 - 8 servings and is hearty, nutritious, and delicious.
Ingredients
1 lb. dried white beans - such as Great Northern or Navy beans
10 cups water
1/2 cup OLVO,5 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 bay leaf
1 - 14 oz. can diced plum tomatoes, un-drained
2 tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Procedure
Soaking dried beans rehydrates them and results in more tender beans and shorter cooking time. If you don't have an extra day to soak the beans overnight, you can try the quick soak method below.
Quick Soaking Method:
Add
beans plus enough water to cover beans by 2 inches to a pot. Add 2
tbsp. salt and stir. Bring beans to a rolling boil. Turn off heat,
cover, and soak for an hour. Drain and rinse beans under cold water
before using.
For the Soup:
Add the beans, water, and
olive oil to a large, non-reactive soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce
heat and simmer covered until beans are tender but not mushy, about 1
hour.
Add vegetables, tomatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaf to the pot
and simmer uncovered another 30-45 minutes for flavors to meld and soup
to thicken a bit.
Season the soup with salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf and sprinkle with chopped fresh
parsley before serving.
Note:Adding an acidic ingredient like tomato to the soup before the beans are cooked can toughen the skins on the beans.
