White bean soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g beans, white
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 stalk(s) celery with celery leaves
• 2 carrots
• 6 tbsp oil (olive oil)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 sprig(s) savory
• 2 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Fassoláda

White bean soup is a Greek national dish. While streaky bacon is the defining ingredient in white bean soup here, Greeks instead use plenty of olive oil and tomatoes as an important flavoring. Rinse the white beans with cold water and soak them in plenty of water for 8-12 hours – preferably overnight. The next day, drain the beans and boil them in 1 1/4 liters of unsalted water in an uncovered pot. Skim off the foam several times. Then simmer the beans over low heat for 1 1/2-2 hours until tender. About 1 hour before the end of the cooking time, prepare the remaining ingredients: Peel and chop the onion. Wash and chop the celery and celery leaves. Wash, scrape, and chop the carrots. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion until translucent. Add the remaining chopped ingredients and sauté everything. Stir the sautéed vegetables and oil into the beans. Dissolve the tomato paste in a little water and stir it into the beans. Sprinkle the savory over the beans and sprinkle with parsley. When the beans are tender, remove the savory and season with salt and pepper.