Fasolada – Greek White Bean Soup

Jenny Skrapaliori-Graves | Last Updated: September 7, 2025

Fasolada-Greek white bean soup, in bowl with a spoon.

This Fasolada–Greek white bean soup is comfort in a bowl: creamy white beans, sweet carrot, fragrant celery, and a generous pour of extra-virgin olive oil. Our everyday hearty food is also common during Lent/Clean Monday fasting menus. Serve with crusty bread, feta, and olives for a proper Greek table.

If you love this Fasolada-Greek White Bean Soup, you will also love Gigantes Beans & Roasted Tomatoes, Chicken Stew With Lemony Beans, or Red Bean Soup With Greens!

A bowl with fasolada-Greek white bean soup, slices of bread and partial view of another bowl.

Overview

Why you will love fasolada

Traditional – This is a classic Greek staple that generations of Greeks grew up with and still enjoy today.
Pantry-friendly & budget-wise – Beans, veg, olive oil—done.
Deep flavor, simple method – A gentle saute of onions and veggies and time, deliver hearty, delicious soup.
Naturally vegan & gluten-free.

Ingredient notes

Dry white beans. Cannellini, navy, or great northern all work. The whiter the color of the beans, the fresher they are. Fresh beans need less soaking and cook faster.
Celery / selino. Greek cooks use leafy wild celery (selino); if you find Chinese/wild celery, use it—otherwise include plenty of celery leaves for aroma.
Tomatoes and tomato paste. Use good quality canned tomatoes, like San Marzano Gustarosso or San Merican.
Extra virgin olive oil. Don’t be shy—Greek recipes are olive-oil-rich and often finished with a final drizzle for gloss and flavor.
Cretan touch (optional). A strip of orange zest simmered with the pot is classic in Chania.

Step by step fasolada

How to soak the beans

Soak or not? Soaking shortens cook time and improves evenness for thicker-skinned beans like cannellini/navy; thin-skinned beans can skip it. Soaking also resolves digestive issues.

Add the beans to a large pot. Fill the pot with plenty of water to cover the beans. Add a pinch of salt. Stir and let the beans soak for 10 hours or overnight. When you are ready to make the soup, rinse the beans well, return them to the pot with enough water to cover them, and boil for 20 minutes. Drain beans and set aside.
Hard water or stubborn beans? A tiny pinch (⅛ tsp per cup of beans) of baking soda in the soak or cooking water can help tenderize; don’t overdo it.

Carrots, celery and onions in a pot cooking.

Place a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the chopped onions over medium-low heat for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic.
Stir and add the carrots, celery, and tomato paste. Stir again well. Season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring to allow flavors to develop.

Beans,
carrots, celery and parsley in a pot cooking.

Add the beans and the tomatoes. Stir and add the chicken stock, parsley, and enough water to cover the beans, plus an extra inch.
Stir well and let them simmer for 2 hours or until beans are soft. Add more water or stock if you need to.
Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Pro tips (evidence-based)

Make it ahead: The beans go in plenty of water in the morning; by early evening, they are ready to be cooked. The soup simmers all evening. The broth develops, thickens lightly, and turns delicious, and the soup is ready to be enjoyed the next day. It’s worth the wait, I believe it tastes even better after it sits for a while.
The fresher the dry beans, the less cooking they need: If your bag of dry white beans has been sitting in your pantry for a while, be prepared for longer cooking.
Texture magic: Lightly puree or mash a scoop of beans into the pot to thicken—no roux needed. (Starch does the work.)
Olive-oil finish: a final drizzle lifts flavor and sheen.

Fasolada variations

Cretan orange-zest fasolada (zest simmered with the soup).
Chili flakes/Bukovo heat (northern Greek vibe).
Greens stir-in: handful of spinach or celery leaves in the last 5 minutes.
Gigantes swap: use large butter/giant beans; increase time.

Substitutions

Canned beans (fast version): Use two cans of rinsed white beans. Simmer the vegetables and tomatoes with the broth to build flavor and cook first as directed in the recipe, then add the beans to warm through, ensuring they don’t break; finish with a squeeze of lemon/EVOO.

Pressure cooker & slow cooker notes

Instant Pot (unsoaked white beans): ~25–40 min on High , depending on variety (navy ~25; cannellini 35–40) + natural release. Add tomato after beans are tender or the pressure phase is done.
Instant Pot (soaked): Cannellini beans are often tender at 12–15 minutes on high with natural release.
Slow cooker: Cook on low 6–8 hrs.

Storage and reheating

Cool & refrigerate. Store 3–4 days in the fridge.
Freeze up to 3–4 months for the best quality. Thaw overnight; reheat gently with a splash of water.

Serving suggestions

Bread: You can’t go wrong with our warm, crusty peasant bread or toasted pita bread.
Sides: Add marinated olives with feta, fried calamari-kalamarakia, and fried crispy zucchini, taramosalata dip, and you are all set.

FAQ

Is fasolada really Greece’s “national dish”?

It’s widely described that way in the press and reference sources. It’s, of course, competing with keftedes-meatballs and moussaka casserole!

Which beans are best?

Cannellini (creamy) or navy (smaller, very tender). Great Northern also works.

Why are my beans still tough?

Age/hard water and early acid are common culprits. Soak older beans, salt early, and add tomato/lemon after beans are soft. A pinch of baking soda can help in hard water.

Is fasolada a Lenten dish?

It’s a staple of Greek fasting cuisine and often appears around Clean Monday, the start of Lent. Some hardcore cooks even make it without any olive oil

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