Fasolada
The white bean soup Greeks call the national dish — and it is nearly free.
Fasolada is white bean soup with carrot, celery, tomato and a great deal of olive oil — often called the Greek national dish, and one of the cheapest things you can cook. The oil is not a garnish here; it is stirred through at the end and gives the soup its body.
Ingredients
- 400g dried white beans
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 onion
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Olive oil, bay, salt
Method
- 1
Soak the beans overnight and drain.
- 2
Simmer with the chopped vegetables and bay for 60 minutes.
- 3
Stir in tomato paste and a good pour of olive oil.
- 4
Cook 20 minutes more until the broth thickens.
- 5
Season and add more raw olive oil at the table.
Under EUR 3 for a pot that feeds six, twice.
The Greek pulse dishes
- Gigantes Plaki — Same soaked-bean start, finished in the oven.
- Revithada — Chickpeas instead of beans, same slow technique.
Taverna Notes
The free Greek recipes are six of the thirteen in the guide. The rest of the book is the taverna itself: what may and may not appear on your bill, how fish by weight is priced, and how to order without being upsold.
Thirteen Greek recipes, and the language, law and labels of the Greek table.
- Thirteen Greek recipes with metric and US measures
- Regional food context and taverna guidance
- Menu and ordering language
- Restaurant pricing and consumer rules — including the prohibition on κουβέρ cover charges and the consent rules for bread and water
Travelling more widely? The Complete European Table holds all seven expanded guides — 495 pages across 7 guides, one-time purchase.
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