Fasolatha - White Bean And Tomato Soup

Fasolatha is a white bean and tomato soup with a nice and thick texture. All made from scratch using fresh ingredients.

📝 Ingredients

• 500 grams /17.6 dried Cannellini beans (or other small white beans)
• 2 1/2 liters (10 cups) boiling hot water ((or half water and half vegetable stock))
• 160 grams (1 large) onion (finely chopped)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 carrots (sliced 1/2 cm (1/4 inch thick) )
• 150 grams (1 + 1/2 cups) chopped celery ((include some of the leaves as well))
• 150 grams (medium-large) extra ripe tomato (hand grated, skin discarded)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 160 ml (2/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil (+ a bit extra to serve with)
• freshly ground pepper
• OPTIONAL: hot red pepper flakes or 1 small chili pepper

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Prepare The Beans: ---
2. 2Soak beans in plenty of water for about 1 hour at room temperature.
3. 3Half fill a large cooking pot with water and add the beans. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then drain beans in a strainer.
4. 4Don't rinse with cold water as this will make their skin come off.
5. 5--- Cook The Beans: ---
6. 6Place beans back in a cooking pot. Pour in 10 cups (2 ½ liters) of boiling hot water or vegetable stock. Add the bay leaf, and onion. Season with salt and bring to a boil.
7. 7Drop heat to low and simmer covered for about 1 hour.
8. 8Add the tomato paste, grated tomato, celery, carrots, olive oil, and tomato paste. If using a chili pepper add it at this point as well. Season with ground pepper.
9. 9Raise heat to medium and simmer covered for 30 minutes more. Giving it a stir every 10 minutes or so.
10. 10Then raise heat to medium-high (keep it on medium if on a gas stove). Stir often until the soup thickens (see note 1 below).
11. 11Let the soup stand for 15 minutes partly covered before serving to bring out its flavors and thicken even further.
12. 12Serve with a drop of raw extra virgin olive oil, plenty of freshly ground pepper, and hot red pepper flakes if you want it spicy.