My friend Barb of Profiteroles and Ponytials made this recipe a few days ago, and I knew I had to have it. Barb and I have been friends a really long time, and I think she blogs to get my taste buds going, in fact, I’m sure that’s what it is. I was doing a vegetarian week last week and when I saw this soup, I thought, perfect. Plus JT made it, so it was super easy for me! We are not big potato eaters in our house so we substituted the potatoes for Chick Peas, and it made it a bit heartier too. Another winner, Mrs. Barbie, thank you!
Fassolada (Barb’s Greek Bean Soup)
Ingredients:
- 1-½ cups navy beans, dried
- 6-½ cups water
- 1/2 cup carrots, diced (we had some in the fridge, otherwise I might have omitted this too)
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup chick peas, canned
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1-½ cups crushed low sodium tomato sauce (we love the Italian brands, they have an incredibly low sodium rate)
- 1- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp oregano (preferably Greek)
Optional Garnish:
- Greek Yogurt with smoked paprika sprinkled over it.
Directions:
- Place the beans in a bowl, cover completely with water, and let them soak overnight.
- Drain and rinse beans. Place in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to boil over high heat for 10 minutes.
- Drain beans in a strainer and return to pot. Add water, carrots, celery, onion, red pepper flakes and bay leaf. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf and add tomato sauce, salt and olive oil and cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour (until beans are tender). Add the chick peas and heat through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, if required.
- Serve in bowls with a dollop of Greek Yogurt and smoked paprika.
I am not a navy bean fan, but I could see making this with all chickpeas (or chickpeas and the potatoes that you didn’t use).
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Thank you Sharyn, we really enjoyed it. I suppose you can sub out the navy to a bean you enjoy. Have a great weekend.
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Hi Eva, I made this soup tonight for dinner and it was lovely. It tasted a little acidic at first, probably because of the crushed tomatoes, so I added a pinch of sugar, which did the trick. Little Rowan lapped it up and half way through his adult size portion (!!), said, “Mmmm, this is so good, Mamma.”
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I am so thrilled you (and Rowan) liked the soup! Did you make it with potatoes or chick peas? I loved how satisfying it was and that I wasn’t even hungry later. And lunch the next day was amazing. The pinch of sugar is a great idea; the acidity did not bother me, but I’ll keep it in mind for next time.
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This soup looks and sounds amazing
I love the ingredients and love it more when a blogging friend posts a recipe that I know I will love and it comes at the perfect timing
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thank you Sawsan. We loved it too!
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Eva, this looks (and sounds) like the chickpeas were a great addition. I will have to give you some of my Greek oregano to try when I see you next. I get it from Ararat and it comes dried right on the stem.I find the leave are a little larger than regular oregano and a slightly different flavour, but I’m not sure how to describe it.
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Thanks Barb, hope you had a great time away! It was a very tasty soup, definitely on our repertoire from now on, thanks for posting.
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I loved how this sounded on Barb’s site and have bookmarked it again here with the chickpeas. Like Greg, we are close to 90 degrees tomorrow, but I’ll still be making this soup before summer!
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Wow! That’s some crazy temperature, Betsy, is that normal for this time of year? I loved this soup, hope you enjoy it too!
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I made black bean soup last week, and it was delicious. I agree that this is a great soup with wonderful hearty ingredients but still very healthy!!
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Thanks again, Yudith, I really loved it too.
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I just made a black bean soup last week… I agree that it is a healthy but still very satisfying dish! Great recipe!
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Thanks Yudith, I was surprised at how satisfying it really was. I believe this recipe will become a staple in our household.
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This looks so comforting!
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Eva, this sounds SO yummy! And quite hearty for a meatless soup…I think hubby would be satisfied…and not scrounging the kitchen for a snack after dinner 🙂
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That’s always a bonus, Liz! I’m doing the vegetarian week again this week!
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That sure is a healthy and satisfying soup and with the crazy weather we are having in the Hudson Valley soup is the meal of choice. I think one of my oregano plants is Greek oregano, I lost the label, maybe one of my garden friends can help me.
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Not sure what the difference between Greek Oregano and regular oregano…perhaps I’ll have to google it to find out. This weather is totally nuts in Toronto too…they predicted snow on Friday and Saturday but thank goodness it didn’t happen. The saucer magnolias are really suffering in our neighbourhood, their blooms have turned brown. Very sad.
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This is such a hearty soup full of great ingredients. Would love a big bowl of this for dinner tonight.
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Thanks Asmita, it came together very easily so it’s a bonus for a week night dinner!
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And everything tastes better with a glass of wine! What a beautiful looking soup. So many yummy ingredients and again, so very good for you. I think chick peas work much better in soup than potatoes – they hold their shape and have better texture xx
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So true Charlie, it was a very tasty dinner with that glass of vino. We’re recuperating from a weekend of a lot of eating out and drinking this week, so we’re going to take it easy with the wine!
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That looks like a great soup – especially with the finishing dollop of yoghurt on top! You know what’s weird? My wife wanted to cook last week and as it turned out, every single meal we ate was vegetarian, aside from a couple of rashers of bacon which we chopped up and ate with some baked potatoes – I’m not one who feels like he has to eat meat. For me – if the food tastes good then that’s enjoyment enough – I don’t have primal carnivorous urges – and I didn’t even notice that we’d eaten almost completely vegetarian all week until she pointed it out on Friday! 😀
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You just reminded me of a dinner my Mom and I cooked years back. We wanted to have a light meal of melon salad with shrimp, it was very tasty and we thought filling, until my little brother said “that was a good starter, what’s for dinner?” Ha ha ha ha!
I’m doing the vegetarian week again, this weekend was a lot of eating out and I feel like it’s a bit healthier.
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Haha, poor little brother – was it at a time when at least he could have claimed “I’m a growing boy, I need more food!”, or was it in rather more recent years?
To be honest, some of my best meals have been light meals – a good leaf salad, mesclun maybe with chopped herbs, bit of veg like cherry tomatoes, maybe some feta cheese, and some nice olive oil. Sit that on a small bed of pasta – tiny, tiny bed… you don’t need much… just enough to give the appearance of pasta peeking through the bottom, and a small hunk of nice bread… it’s all I need to be honest.
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My fresh oregano is really taking off too. This looks like a great way to use it. Sadly, it will be 90 tomorrow. I’ll bookmark it for fall.
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90°F is that normal for this time of year? That’s just crazy! Betsy is having that kind of temperature in Atlanta as well. Sounds like it’s just cold soups for you from here on in, Greg!
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I like how you used chickpeas in place of potatoes. That sounds delicious to me. Perhaps I can get Mike to make us dinner this week. I have a feeling I’m going to have a hectic week. Hope you’re having a great weekend! 🙂
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Thanks Kristy, it is a very easy weeknight meal, particularly if Mike makes it for you! 😉
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This recipe sounds great – sounds healthy and looks delicious. Win Win!
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Thanks Bill, I hope you try it, it’s a winner, that’s for sure.
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I love this soup recipe, I think I’ll have to head over to Barb’s website to see the other version as well! Yes, I have bookmarked so many recipes I’d like to try that I’ve seen on other blogger’s sites:) Have an awesome day!
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Thank you kindly Barbara! I loved this soup, will make it again.
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What a deliciously filling vegetarian dish and I like how you subbed the potatoes for chickpeas! 🙂
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Thanks Lorraine, it was very tasty and filling!
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A hearty and healthy meal on its own! This one is definitely a keeper! 🙂 Looove Greek food!
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Thanks Sam, I’d never thought of soup and Greek food before, but it sure is a tasty one!
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Isn’t it great when a blogging buddy posts a recipe that really hits home with you? You see it and realize that you must make it – and soon! Last weekend, I prepared 2 such recipes and enjoyed them both every much. Aside from your really beautiful photos, looking over the list of ingredients for this recipe says to me that this is one great bowl of soup. Thanks, Eva, for bringing it to our attention.
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Thank you kindly John, as usual you are very generous with your compliments!
And with this crazy weather we’re having in Toronto, soup is right up there for us. I’ll likely make it again before the temperatures soar!
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