Mains
Fasoulada
Φασολάδα
Yiayia once said, “The first meal Italians ever made was Spaghetti. The first meal Arabs ever made was Pilafi. And the first meal the Greeks ever made was Fasoulada. ” With that in mind, it only feels right to begin this section with the same dish the Greeks began with. A rare meatless recipe from Yiayia’s kitchen, Fasoulada is quick, simple, and satisfying — whether you make it more like a hearty stew or a lighter, soupier version.
Main
Ingredients
- 500g white beans dry or from a can
- 2 tomatoes, cut into eighths
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 1 small carrot, cut into 0.5cm half moons
- 2 celery, thinly sliced
- 2 mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 strand of dill, separated from stem
- 1 small fresh chili, deseeded and finely
- chopped
- 1 small lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Half a bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Method
- Put the beans into a large pot and cover with water. If you are using dry beans, Yiayia suggests soaking them overnight and rinsing them before cooking
- Bring the water to a boil and add in tomatoes, onion, carrots, celery, mint, dill and chili
- Reduce the heat and bring to a simmer for 1 hour. Slow cooking the beans will help create a thick soup texture with the starch from the beans
- After 1 hour of cooking, add the olive oil and lemon juice and let it cook for another 10 minutes
- Salt and pepper to taste, garnish with parsley and drizzle with extra lemon juice if it needs it. Serve with buttered bread (See page 105 for an easy bread recipe)