A quicker Fasolada (Greek Bean Soup) makes for a delicious and satisfying weeknight dinner. You'll love the bold Greek flavors in this vegan and gluten free white bean soup with garlic, onions, celery and a generous drizzle of good Greek extra virgin olive oil. This Fasolada recipe takes a bit of a modern approach--a little shortcut makes all the difference!
Fasolada
Fasolada is a popular Greek bean soup, occasionally referred to as the national food of the Greeks!
The star ingredients in this simple bean soup are: white beans, celery, and extra virgin olive oil--in fact, a healthy amount of quality extra virgin olive oil makes all the difference.
Some variations of Fasolada include carrots and tomatoes. And if you want to stick with tradition, you'll want to start with dry white beans, soaked overnight.
But this recipe is simplified and takes a more modern, quick-n-dirty approach!
The key difference in this Fasolada recipe is in using canned beans in place of dry white beans. Needless to say, this small change shaved off a few hours of soaking time, immediately transforming Fasolada into a weeknight recipe.
Yes, we take a shortcut here, but we don't give up flavor. Absolutely not!
At the outset, I use a combination of onions, garlic, celery and bay leaf. Warm spices are stirred in to continue adding aroma and depth. Finally, a splash of zesty lemon juice and fresh parsley add brightness.
What to serve with Greek Bean Soup (Fasolada)?
When we eat fasolada for dinner, my family typically starts with a bright salad like this traditional Greek salad, or maybe even fattoush salad. No need for too many sides, just add some Greek olives and your favorite rustic bread.
If you love beans are are looking for more creations to try, don't miss this Greek baked beans recipe, and be sure to check out our Best Bean Recipes roundup. 35 recipes for every occasion!
More recipes you may like:
Ribollita (Tuscan White Bean Soup)
Avgolemono: Greek Chicken and Lemon Soup
Kidney Bean Salad with Cilantro and Dijon Vinaigrette
Visit our collection of Mediterranean recipes and our top Mediterranean diet recipes.
JOIN MY FREE E-MAIL LIST for weekly meal plans and more!
Print
Easy Greek Bean Soup (Fasolada)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: serves up to 6
Description
A quicker Fasolada (Greek Bean Soup) makes for a delicious and satisfying weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
- Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 4 ½ cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 3 15-oz cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp sweet paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- In a heavy pot like this one, heat 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onion, salt and pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring regularly. Now add the garlic, celery, bay leaf, and oregano. Cook 5 more minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add broth, cannelini beans, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a rolling boil for 3 minutes or so. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Ladle 2 cups of the soup into the bowl of a small food processor or blender. Blend, then return to the cooking pot. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Off heat, stir in about ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley. Transfer to serving bowls and top each bowl with another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired. Serve with your favorite rustic bread.
Notes
- Recommended for this Recipe: Our Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil.
- Visit our store to browse our all-natural and organic spices, olive oils and bundles!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Greek
Delicious! I added carrot as other commenters suggested and used my immersion blender. An astonishingly simple and delicious recipe for a cold evening!
Thanks, Vikki!
I needed to use some celery before it went bad and saw this recipe, it was hands down the best soup I've ever made! Thank you so much for this!
You're so sweet, Alicia! Thank you!
Absolutely delicious. I actually made it with canned lentils as I didn’t have beans and put in some leftover roast chicken and finely chopped celery leaves instead of the parsley as I needed to use up from the fridge. The spices came through beautifully and the oil and lemon really enriched it. Thanks so much.
My pleasure, Conrad! Thanks for the very kind review!
Hi I made the soup a few days ago and I dearly love it. I happened to add shredded chicken sand chopped fresh spinach also. Love this recipe thank you so much!
Yum! Thanks for sharing your additions, Debi!
I can’t eat beans what veggies can I replace it with? I. Allergic to carrots and celery!
Hi, Lu. I'd imagine the any veggies you enjoy would work well here. It's a pretty forgiving recipe. It just may not be as hearty without the beans.
This was so delicious! The olive oil gave it so much richness and I loved the fact that it was vegan. My family ate it with crusty Whole Foods bread and it made the perfect meal. I did not have a lemon in the house for the soup so I substituted with bottled lemon juice and it was still wonderful. The lemon flavor was subtle and gave the soup wonderful tartness. Definitely a recipe to repeat in our home.
Awesome! Thanks, Cindy!
Absolutely delicious! I was feeling a little uncertain when I tasted it while it was cooking, but the olive oil and lemon added at the end turned this dish into what my husband calls the best bean soup he ever ate.
I didn’t have time to get the blender out and mess with it, but I didn’t miss the creaminess. And I think I might add a finely diced carrot next time. Or I just might leave it as its perfectly delicious self.
So glad you enjoyed it, Laurie.
We love bean soup at our house, and I've made many different kinds over the years, but this one really is head and shoulders above most all I've ever made. In fact, almost every one of the 50+ Mediterranean Dish recipes I have made this past year have been greeted with raves by my family, and I have grown to LOVE cooking, (!!) since the results from your recipes are so consistently excellent. THANK YOU, SUZY!
Thanks, Geri! Love to hear it!
This soup is so good. I did the dried bean soak and cook and it was perfect. Love the zing from the lemon and the creamy base. I was out of paprika and substituted with some dried chilli for a slightly hotter alternative. This recipe is a keeper!
Awesome! Thanks, Winnie!
Easy and tasty. I followed the recipe except using 1 chicken bullion and water instead of broth.
Fantastic! Great flavors. Love the brightness the lemon adds. I added some zucchinis for more veggie value. Super easy and really quick to make. Wonderful...thanks!
Happy to hear you loved it, Karen!
I want to add zucchini as a couple of people have suggested but do you add the zucchini before blending the 2 cups or after?
Hi, Kay. I would add them before. Although, I'm not sure it matters much either way.
I have made this soup many times and it has quickly become one of my favorite recipes of all times! I especially love to make this recipe on the weekend to have for healthy, delicious lunches for the next week! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Yes... this one is great for weekly meal prep! Thanks, Holly!
I added some zucchini to this and it turned out amazing definitely keeping this recipe!
Thanks for sharing! So glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is truly wonderful- Corona times has meant I'm back at home with my family and this has become one of our weekly staples because we can't get enough of it! I blend much of it with a stick blender, and then add the olive oil, lemon, and parsley. It's great on its own, and also to add chicken to!
So glad to hear it, Bekah! And I love the idea of blending some of it for a thicker base!
Can I make this with dried beans and in the crockpot? If so, do you know the time and bean ratio I would need?
Hi Sara, you may be able to make this in the crock-pot using dry beans. 1 cup of dry beans will typically produce 3 cups of cooked beans.
This recipe was delicious and flavorful.
Thanks, Tammy!