Beans, Lentils & Peas! - Fasolia/ΦΑΣΟΛΙΑ

It's all about legumes this month as we happily send off August and look forward to warmer weather...well that's the dream!

Today we are going to talk about one of the 3 Greek F's - Fasolia, or beans. These are some of the beans that we had in our pantry and we would love to share recipes that we have collected for our cookbook. This cookbook will be sold to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis Research. Check out more info at the end of our blog on how to get your hands on the recipes!

FASOLIA / ΦΑΣΟΛΙΑ

Fasolia are dried beans and one of the most famous Greek dishes is the National Dish of Greece, FASOLADA!

It doesn't matter which region of Greece you're from, there's bound to be a memory of mum's or yiayia's Fasolada and dunking fresh bread into that deliciously satisfying thick tomato soup which we always sprinkle generously with feta!

We use haricot (Navy) beans when we make Fasolada as they hold their shape well and are wonderfully creamy. Haricot beans are a great source of fibre, protein, iron, B vitamins and some research shows that they assist in reducing high cholesterol.

Who can resist dunking into this bowl of Fasolada??

BORLOTTI BEANS

Not all recipes using beans must be vegetarian! Borlotti beans are a very hearty addition to a comforting Winter's stew.

Borlotti Beans are a variety of kidney bean, this is a large plump bean that is pinkish-brown in colour with reddish-brown streaks. Borlotti beans have a sweetish flavour with a smooth creamy texture. They are a great source of fibre, protein, folate, thiamine, iron, copper, potassium & magnesium

If you have a spare 2 hours, which we know that you do 😉 then try our Braised Beef & Borlotti Bean Stew.

Who can resist dunking bread into this...wait this sounds familiar! But seriously, bread & dunking is needed stat!!

LIMA BEANS / ΓΙΓΑΝΤΕΣ

Lima Beans make the perfect bean for our (mine actually) favourite of favourite dishes - GIGANTES!

Gigantes, refers to the Greek word for "Giant" Our recipe makes enough to feed a giant family, or enjoy as part of a meze over a few days!

Before I was confident enough to make my own Gigantes, I would buy the tins of Gigantes from Greece (PS I still do!), and grab a spoon and some bread and eat them straight out of the tin. No sharing thank you! There's something about that oily, dilly, creamy yumminess that is very moorish and delicious.

I can't replicate the exact flavour of the tinned Gigantes, but there's no limit to how many times I can practice until I make them perfect! 😉

You can download our recipe for Gigantes Plaki

You know what I'm about to say, right?! But tell me, who can resist mopping this deliciousness up with bread??