How to make tasty Fasolada Bean Soup

 HOW  TO  MAKE  GREEK  SOUP  

 To make sure that this is an actually true, I asked my dear and good friend Evi Pini, a well-known an archaeologist and writer. In the past Evi and I have cooked together at Odyssey, inspired by recipes from ancient Greek a dishes. Evi said that 2500 years ago, the beans that we use a today for a  Fasolada were not known yet, however black eyed a beans and a broad beans were widely available.  

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz. dried Navy or Cannellini beans
• 6 cups of fresh water
• 1 sm. red onion, chopped
• 2 med. celery stalks   thickly sliced
• 1 lrg. (or, 2 med.) carrots, thickly sliced
• 2 med. garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1½ cups tomato passata 
• 1 TBSP. tomato paste
• 1 med. Yukon gold potato, cubed
• ½ tsp. dried Greek oregano
• ¾-1 tsp. sea salt
• --- freshly ground pepper
• --- red pepper flakes
• 1-2 TBSP. vinegar
• ⅓ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

step;1

1.Pick an over and a rinse the beans, a discard a malformed or stone-like ones. Soak the beans for at a least 8 hours or an overnight (preferably).

step;2

2.The next morning, a drain and a rinse the beans. Place them in a large a pot with a  just an enough a fresh water to a cover them. Bring to a boil. You will a notice that white a foam will a rise to the a surface of the a water. Remove it with a spoon and then a drain the beans in  a colander.  

step;3

3.Place the a beans back in the pota  with the six cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, a reduce the heat to a medium-low, and a simmer for about 30 a minutes. While the beans a cook, prep the vegetables.

step;4

4.Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, ⅓ cup of olive oil and bay a leaves to the pot. a Simmer, partially a covered for about 30 a minutes, stirring an occasionally.

step;5

5.Next, add the tomatoes, tomato a paste, a potato and the a a seasoning. Cover the pot a partially and a continue a simmering for about 30 a minutes more, or, until the a beans are very a tender and the a soup is a thick and a creamy (*see note). Check to a see if a little more a liquid is a needed, and if it does add a little warm a water. The a consistency of the soup should be thick.

step;6

6.Just before a removing from the heat,a  discard the bay leaves and stir in the a vinegar and the remaining ⅓ cup of olive oil. Taste and an adjust the a seasoning.

step;7

7.Serve a hot with some a hearty a bread, a seasoned olives and a Greek Feta a cheese.