Rustic Greek Fasolada with Lemon and Oregano

⏱ 90 min · Serves 4

Greece's humble national bean soup: creamy white beans simmered slowly with sweet carrot, celery and tomato, then finished with a generous glug of good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Cheap, filling and quietly brilliant with crusty bread.

Per serving: 515 kcal · 22.0g protein · 58.0g carbs · 22.0g fat

Ingredients

• 400g dried cannellini or haricot beans, soaked overnight (or 3 x 400g tins, drained)
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced (plus a handful of leaves)
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1.2 litres water or light vegetable stock
• 1 tsp sweet paprika (optional)
• Salt and black pepper
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

1. Drain the soaked beans, put them in a large pot with fresh cold water, bring to the boil and boil hard for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. (Skip if using tinned beans.)
2. Wipe out the pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat and soften the onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes, stirring, until sweet and glossy.
3. Add the garlic, tomato purée, oregano and paprika and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Return the beans to the pot with the chopped tomatoes, bay leaf and water or stock. Bring to a simmer.
5. Simmer uncovered, partly lidded, for 55-70 minutes, topping up with a little hot water if needed, until the beans are truly tender and the broth has thickened. (Tinned beans need only 20-25 minutes.)
6. Season generously with salt and pepper now the beans are soft. For a creamier soup, mash a ladleful of beans against the side of the pot and stir back in.
7. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, parsley and celery leaves. Rest 5 minutes, then ladle into bowls and finish each with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with crusty bread and olives.