I suppose when someone hears Greek food, immediately thinks of souvlaki or tzatziki. It is true that these two have become, over the years, a trade mark of Greek food. Nevertheless, as I was growing up, what we as Greeks considered being our most traditional and staple Greek dish was fasolada.
Fasolada is a cannellini beans soup that is eaten from the northern parts to the very southern ones in Greece. If one has, and rightfully, the question as to why this dish was such a staple, the answer is simple. Greece has gone through many rough times in her history (that reminds me of something we live today!) such as wars, civil wars, poverty, famine, slavery, dictatorships and the list goes on. People most of the time didn’t have the luxury to eat meat every day; they enjoyed it every Sunday or in big fests and celebrations. Beans were cheap, easily cultivated and they really filled the stomach very well. Need I say more?
So, when Pola proposed soup to be this month’s theme for World on a Plate, my mind went directly to fasolada. Today, that all types of meat and food are available to us, this dish is kind of spurned and put aside from our weekly menu plan. I wanted to feature it and give it the credit it deserves, because it is hearty, it is tasty, it is family friendly, it is budget friendly and it is perfect for the chilly days of autumn or winter. This recipe is how my mom makes it and how I am making it for my family. If you crave soup and you have the ingredients, do give this a try and you won’t regret it.
World on a plate is a blogging cultural exchange established by Pola. On the last Sunday of the month, bloggers who participate in this event team, from all over the world get together to interpret a food through the lens of their home country cooking. Each blogger will produce a wonderful dish featuring the food chosen that is typical of her/his home country and will tell us a bit about the dish.
Fasolada/Cannellini Beans Soup
Ingredients
2 cups beans
400 gr./14 oz. chopped tomatoes in their juice
2 carrots, sliced
A bunch of celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ cup olive oil
Water for the first boil of the beans
Water to cover the beans plus 3 cm. above them
Salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
Put the beans in a pot and cover them with water.
Place the pot over high heat and boil for 5 minutes.
Drain them and throw away this water.
In the same pot add the drained beans, the carrots, the tomatoes, the celery, the onion, the sugar, the pepper, the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Refill with water to cover the beans plus 3cm. above them.
Place over high heat and when they start to boil lower to medium and boil for at least 2 to 3 hours depending on the beans.
After two hours test and if they are soft, add the olive oil and salt.
Let it boil for 5 minutes more and then turn off the fire.
The reason why we put salt at the end is because in this way we avoid making the beans tough.
The reason why we put the olive oil at the end is because it is better for the oil not to boil for a long time.
- 2 cups beans
- 400 gr./14 oz. chopped tomatoes in their juice
- 2 carrots, sliced
- A bunch of celery, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ cup olive oil
- Water for the first boil of the beans
- Water to cover the beans plus 3 cm. above them
- Salt, pepper to taste
- Put the beans in a pot and cover them with water.
- Place the pot over high heat and boil for 5 minutes.
- Drain them and throw away this water.
- In the same pot add the drained beans, the carrots, the tomatoes, the celery, the onion, the sugar, the pepper, the cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Refill with water to cover the beans plus 3cm. above them.
- Place over high heat and when they start to boil lower to medium and boil for at least 2 to 3 hours depending on the beans.
- After two hours test and if they are soft, add the olive oil and salt.
- Let it boil for 5 minutes more and then turn off the fire.
- The reason why we put salt at the end is because in this way we avoid making the beans tough.
- The reason why we put the olive oil at the end is because it is better for the oil not to boil for a long time.
- 2 φλ. φασόλια μουλιασμένα από την προηγούμενη
- 400 γρ. τοματοχυμό
- 2 καρότα, σε φέτες
- Ένα μάτσο σέλινο, ψιλοκομμένο
- 2 σκελίδες σκόρδο, ψιλοκομμένο
- 1 μεγάλο κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
- 1 κ.σ. ζάχαρη
- 1 κ.γ. κανέλλα
- 1 κ.γ. μοσχοκάρυδο
- ½ φλ. ελαιόλαδο
- Νερό για το πρώτο βράσιμο
- Νερό για να καλύψει τα φασόλια συν 3 εκ. από πάνω τους
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
- Βάλτε τα φασόλια σε μια κατσαρόλα και σκεπάστε με νερό.
- Βάζετε την κατσαρόλα σε δυνατή φωτιά και βράστε τα φασόλια με άφθονο νερό για 5 λεπτά.
- Στραγγίστε και πετάξτε αυτό το νερό.
- Στην ίδια κατσαρόλα, προσθέστε τα στραγγισμένα φασόλια, τα καρότα, τις ντομάτες, το σέλινο, το κρεμμύδι, τη ζάχαρη, το πιπέρι, την κανέλα και το μοσχοκάρυδο.
- Ξαναγεμίστε με νερό για να καλύψει τα φασόλια συν 3 cm. από πάνω τους.
- Ζεστάνετε σε δυνατή φωτιά και όταν αρχίσουν να βράζουν μειώστε σε μέτρια φωτιά και βράστε για τουλάχιστον 2 έως 3 ώρες ανάλογα με τα φασόλια.
- Μετά από δύο ώρες δοκιμάστε και αν είναι μαλακά, προσθέστε το ελαιόλαδο και το αλάτι.
- Αφήστε τα να βράσουν για άλλα 5 λεπτά και σβήστε τη φωτιά.
- Ο λόγος που βάζουμε αλάτι στο τέλος είναι επειδή με τον τρόπο αυτό αποφεύγουμε να γίνουν τα φασόλια σκληρά.
- Ο λόγος που βάζουμε το ελαιόλαδο στο τέλος είναι επειδή είναι καλύτερα για να μην βράσει για μεγάλο χρονικό διάστημα.
