Greek Fasolatha Soup is a hearty bean and vegetable soup from Greece~ it’s simple to make and tastes like it just came right out of a kitchen in Greece!

Welcome to the second week of our Culinary Journey exploring the beautiful country of Greece!  I hope you’ve had a chance to make some of last weeks Greek Feta and Red Pepper Spread with Flat Bread.  Oh my!  It’s so heavenly.

The Greek cuisine has four secrets: good quality fresh ingredients, correct use of flavorings (herbs) and spices, the famous Greek olive oil and simplicity.  Yep and our Greek Fasolatha Soup has all of those ‘secrets’ right in there, it tastes simply amazing!

Greek olive oil deserves a special note. It accompanies almost all Greek dishes, used abundantly in most of them, excellent quality, and very good for your health.  The mild Greek climate allows for fresh vegetables year round so most vegetables are cultivated in natural ways so they maintain their natural aroma and flavor.

The time of the day when Greeks gather around the table to enjoy a meal or various hors d’oeuvres (mezedes) with ouzo (anise-flavored alcoholic beverage) is a tradition that every Greek maintains with reverence.  Meals are a deeply entrenched social custom- Greeks share a meal with friends at home, in a restaurant or a tavern.  The Greek word “symposium” -a word that is as old as Greece itself- literally means “drinking with friends”.   The atmosphere in an ordinary Greek restaurant or tavern is relaxing, simple and informal.  The preparation of the food on the other hand has its own sacred rules.  Good amateur cooks are highly respected in their social circle, while a good housewife in Greece mainly signifies a good cook.  And a good cook can spend days preparing a meal for his/her friends.

The distinctiveness of the Greek “kitchen taste” is many times associated with the quality characteristics of its society.  It’s a way for someone to “talk” to the heart of someone else.  Greek gastronomy has recorded a history of around 4,000 years, with especial characteristics based on pure and unique quality goods produced on Greek land.  It was Archestratos who wrote the first cookbook in history (330 B.C.).

Many scientific studies have shown the positive effect of a balanced Greek diet on a person’s health, beauty and longevity. The nutritional culture of the Greeks has traditionally added an extraverted social dimension to the table, combining gustative satisfaction with recreation and communication, and thus maintaining even today some overtones from ancient feasts.

Last weekend a couple of friends and I went to the Greek Festival here in Salt Lake City, Utah…

It was super fun!  Fabulous food, wares from Greece, authentic foods and pastries just to get started…

The Holy Trinity Cathedral was open to tour and it was stunning with breath taking glass windows and beautifully painted murals…

BUT, the dancing was just super cool 🙂   These dancers are in some seriously awesome physical condition!  Greek style dancing is nothing short of an intense aerobic workout.

This is a little snip from the Official Dance of Greece preformed at the Greek Festival…

Isn’t it just so beautiful!  Now you see why I had to grab a video even though it’s blurry with my iPhone but I still wanted to share a dance with you.

Okay.  Let’s get back to our Greek Fasolatha Soup!  It’s amazing and I hope you’ll enjoy this traditional Greek recipe with your family and friends tonight!

 

Yield: 6

Greek Fasolatha Soup

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Greek Fasolatha Soup is a hearty bean and vegetable soup from Greece~ it's simple to make and tastes like it just came right out of a kitchen in Greece!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, medium diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped (I used 3 colors of carrots cuz their so beautiful)
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 cup diced canned tomatoes
• 2 cans, 15oz cannellini beans (white kidney beans) rinsed and drained
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 cups water
• sea salt and pepper
• pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons minced flat leafed parsley

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot over medium high heat, add olive oil and heat to almost the smoke point.
2. Add onions and cook 3-4 minutes or until turns translucent; stirring.
3. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more; stirring.
4. Add carrots and celery; cook 2 minutes stirring.
5. Add canned tomatoes and cook 2 minutes.
6. Add beans, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
7. Bring to boil, cover, reduce to simmer and cook 20 minutes or until carrots and celery are tender-crisp.
8. When ready to serve add parsley, pinch of cayenne and lemon juice.
9. Enjoy with flat bread!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 307Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 145mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 11gSugar: 4gProtein: 15g

*some information in this post came from Visit Greece 🙂

Have an amazing Wednesday!

Much Love and Peace~

Ruthie