FOOD FRIDAY - GREEK BEAN SOUP

“Eating vegetarian doesn't mean you have to eat boring, humdrum dishes.” - Marcus Samuelsson

The following recipe is for what has often been called the “national dish of Greece” – “Fasoladha” (Φασολάδα). It is a tasty and nutritious vegetarian meal that in the past was one of the staples of the traditional Mediterranean diet. It is low in fat, has no cholesterol, is full of fibre, vitamins and minerals and is rich in plant proteins. As well as that it is tasty and wholesome.

TRADITIONAL GREEK BEAN SOUP
Ingredients

500 g dried white beans

4-5 large carrots, cut in round slices, 1 cm thick

3-4 tender celery sticks (with their leaves), chopped up

250 g white onions chopped up

3 litres vegetable stock

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoonful dried mustard

1 bay leaf

salt, pepper to taste

Method

Soak beans overnight in two litres of water. The next morning rinse well and drain.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onions until they are golden brown.

Add the drained beans and stir thoroughly, cooking for 3-4 minutes.

Add the 2 litres of the vegetable stock, stir and put the cover on the saucepan, leaving a gap for the steam to escape. Lower the heat to medium and cook for about half an hour.

Add the carrots, celery, mustard powder, bay leaf and the remaining 1 litre of stock. Continue cooking for another hour.

Keep an eye on the beans during cooking, ensuring there is adequate liquid in the pan. Add warm water as it is needed, but keep in mind the consistency in the end should be of a thick, glutinous soup.

Towards the end of the cooking stir every 5 minutes, 4-5 times.

Add the salt and pepper to taste. Taste the beans to ensure they are tender and melt in the mouth. If more cooking is needed, add some water and continue to cook.

Serve with crusty bread, Kalamata olives, green salad and cheese.

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