Greek White Bean Soup “Fasolada”

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Greek White Bean Soup is one of the most popular soups in the Greek Cuisine. This dish is made with small white beans with the addition of freshly cut up carrots. What’s nice about this soup is that you can substitute any vegetable you like, have it simple on top, or top it with your favorite garnish. For this recipe, I prefer the small white beans, not the larger white beans. Dried beans can be soaked overnight before beginning your recipe. So plan ahead if using them. Bob’s Red Mill carries a nice selection of small white beans for this recipes. This soup is so hearty, it can be eaten as is, or you can ask for seconds! If using this Greek White Bean soup during Lent season, substitute water or use vegetable broth. And don’t forget to make a crisp green salad for a complete nutritious meal.

Soup Health Tips

  • Use broth, not cream, as the foundation of your soup.
  • A nutrient-rich soup contains lots of vegetables.
  • After vegetables, add your protein of choice, such as beans or chicken.
  • Grains, such as whole barley, farro, and brown rice, can add texture. They are also a good source of nutrients and prebiotics, which are foods that help to promote a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms in your gut.

 

Greek White Bean Soup

Bob's Red Mill

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Greek White Bean Soup with Vegetables “Fasolada”

This creamy bean soup with carrots makes a quick meal for any evening.
Course Soup
Cuisine Greek
Keyword Greek soup, white bean
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried white beans, navy or northern, or rinsed canned beans
  • 1 quart chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
  • 1 quart water
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 4 carrots, sliced
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 can tomato sauce,(4 oz.) or 2 freshly chopped tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
  • Garnish:
  • 1 small container of plain Greek yogurt, optional
  • 1/2 cup sliced radishes, optional

Instructions

  1. Soak beans overnight in a bowl with water covering beans. The next morning rinse and place in the soup pot. When using canned beans rinse before using.

  2. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot. Add the chopped onions, celery, and carrots and cook until slightly tender. Do not brown.

  3. Add the water or broth, bay leaf and tomato sauce.

  4. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 1-1/2 hour - 2 hours. Test the beans. If using canned beans cook for 30 145 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the soup has thickened.

  5. Add the salt, pepper, and parsley the last 10 minutes.
  6. Serve warm with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and sliced radishes.

Recipe Notes

Note: This soup can be made in one day by boiling the beans in water for one hour. Then continue with the recipe! For a faster version use canned beans.

Other soups you may enjoy:

Mom’s Lentil Vegetable Soup

Cabbage Soup with Fresh Vegetable Stock

Corn Chowder and The Vegetable Butcher

Stay warm with this family recipe,

 

 

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Easy Family Chili

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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You must try this Easy Family Chili for your family this week! Chili is one of our family favorites, and was often requested by our kids weekly. During the year we often served chili on special  nights such as Halloween, the kid’s birthday parties, New Year’s Eve parties, and of course Super Bowl Sunday!  Yes, this is an old recipe, and not the  most current but it worked for those busy days. This was the perfect quick and easy recipe for a weeknight and delicious! Serve with a side of cornbread or a crisp green salad. Rancho Gordo is where I purchased fresh and delicious beans for my family. They can be ordered online and delivered to your home. Their selection of beans have recipes as well that you can download.

  • Beans are a great source of protein, 8-9 grams per 1/2 cup serving.
  • Fiber rich with 15 grams.
  • Carbs as well, with 45 grams.
  •  20% of iron daily intake.
Easy Family Chili
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Easy Family Beef Chili

A need for warm comfort food brings this chili recipe out in my kitchen every time!Easy and delicious for a quick family dinner!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword chili, dinner, family, groundbeef
Servings 10
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 large green pepper, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 2 15 oz. can red kidney beans
  • 1 28 oz. can tomatoes
  • 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions

  1. In a dutch oven on medium high heat, cook the ground beef, onions, garlic,and green pepper until beef is well browned and juices evaporate.
  2. Stir in chili powder and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Stir in tomatoes, paste, water,salt, sugar, bay leaf, and the juice from the beans.
  4. Heat to boiling point, then reduce and cook on low for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  5. Stir in reserved beans. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes longer. Discard bay leaf.
  6. Can be served with shredded cheese, sour cream, or red hot pepper sauce.

If you love beans as much as I do take a look at my other posts below:

Jicama Nachos with Rice, Beans and Pickled Radish

Lemon Pasta with Fava Beans and Greens

Spiced Pickled Green Beans

How-To Cook and Roast Fava Beans

These are just a few of my bean dishes, for more look under the search button.

Have fun cooking,

Mary at California Greek Girl

 

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Greek Chicken Lemon Soup with Orzo “Avgolemono”

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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This Greek Chicken Lemon Soup is the greatest comfort food of all traditional dishes from Greece. Every home serves this recipe in various ways, similar to a tomato soup here in the states. This simple soup, with it’s unique addition of a whipped lemon sauce will wow your family and guests.  Our family will make this Greek Chicken Lemon Soup at least every other week, depending who’s sick in the family, how cold it is outside, or who needs a good comfort dish! When purchasing a chicken try and look for free range organic chickens for a more delicious savory soup. In this recipe, when adding lemons, please add fresh lemon juice only, not bottled. It just doesn’t work in this recipe. If you need more instruction and techniques for this soup, look for them here: Cooking Techniques for Greek Chicken Lemon Soup.

What is an Air- Chilled Chicken?

  • As part of processing chicken, the birds have to be cooled to a certain temperature to ensure food safety.
  • This can be done in one of two ways: immersion in cold water or air-chilling.
  • This process can produce tender, succulent meat while keeping the flavor intact. When buying chicken at your grocery ask the butcher if they carry these chickens.
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Greek Chicken Lemon Soup with Orzo "Avgolemono"

Of all the soups in the Greek cuisine this is the number one most popular soup! Better the next day!
Course Soup
Cuisine Greek
Keyword avgolemono, chicken, Greek, lemon, soup
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1/2 onion, cut in half
  • 1 carrot, cut in thirds
  • 1 celery stock, cut in half
  • 1 1/2 cups orzo
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon for juice before serving

Egg-Lemon Sauce

  • 3 eggs
  • Juice of 2-3 lemons, strained
  • 1 cup broth from chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Wash chicken and remove the inside parts. Rinse with cold water. Add whole chicken to a large pot. Place enough cold water in the pot to cover the chicken and 2 more inches of water. Add 1/2 of an onion, and one carrot cut in thirds, plus one celery stalk.
  2. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer and cover. Skim off any foam as it appears. Simmer for 2 hours. Remove chicken and place in a bowl.
  3. Strain broth and return to the pot. If serving with the egg-lemon sauce, remove 1 cup broth and set aside.
  4. Add 2 teaspoons salt to the broth and bring to a boil.
  5. Add the orzo, and cook on medium-high for twenty minutes or until orzo is ready.
  6. Peel and clean the chicken. Cut 1/2 the chicken in small pieces and add to the broth.
  7. Remove broth from the heat. Make the sauce.
  8. Gently add the sauce to your broth, and serve.
  9. Serve with a dash of pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
  10. Place remaining chicken on a platter and serve with the soup.

Egg-Lemon Sauce

  1. Beat eggs until thick and light yellow, at least 5 minutes. ( I put mine in the blender, or a hand-mixer, or food-processor)
  2. Continue to blend and slowly add lemon juice.
  3. Continue and slowly add broth.
  4. Add to soup. Do not re-boil soup.

Recipe Notes

Note: This soup can be made a day ahead, and reheated. Add a little water if needed.

You may want to serve this delicious warm Greek Chicken Lemon Soup with the chicken on the side, or placing it on top of the soup just before serving with a dash or pepper and salt. At home, we serve this soup alone, we just ask for seconds! Adding a Greek Salad to this soup can be a nice addition for your dinner table.

Greek Chicken Lemon Soup

Here are a few of my many other soups:

My Mother’s Lentil Soup

Greek White Bean Soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

 

Mary at California Greek Girl

 

 

 

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Cooking Techniques: Greek Chicken-Lemon Soup

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

Post image for Cooking Techniques: Greek Chicken-Lemon Soup

These are the steps to making our traditional Greek Lemon Soup. I chose to use an organic chicken, and sometimes I can find an air-chilled chicken as well. It’s not necessary, but I prefer the clean taste and juiciness these chickens have.  If you don’t have a heavy soup pot, you can use chicken parts that fit into your pan.  You can select which pasta or rice to use, I prefer orzo because it thickens the soup slightly.

Use this recipe for the Greek Chicken Lemon Soup 

Let’s Get Started!


Wash and remove insides of chicken with cold water. Place chicken in a pot filled with cold water, add carrot, and onion.
Cook on simmer for 2 hours. Skim foam or fat from top.


Strain broth and return to pot. Bring to a boil.


Add orzo and reduce heat to medium and cook for twenty minutes or until orzo is soft. Remove the soup from the heat.


Gather the ingredients for the sauce. Juice the lemons.  Beat the eggs, add the lemon juice slowly, add the broth slowly.


Beat the eggs, add the  lemon juice slowly, add the broth slowly.

Pour the egg-lemon sauce into the broth.


Add the chicken pieces. Add extra pepper and lemon juice. Taste for seasonings.

 

Good Luck and Stay Healthy,

Mary 

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Greek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Lahano Dolmathes

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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When visiting Greece this last season every household had rows and rows of cabbage growing in their backyard gardens. This fall dinner brings warmth to the table and is definitely considered a Greek comfort food,and one of my favorites, Stuffed Cabbage. The stuffing can be made from beef or lamb, just substitute with the same amount. I like to serve this dish with avgolemono sauce, an egg and lemon sauce. It also can be served plain with the remaining  juices from the pan. A dollop of sour cream  is extra,  just our little addition! If you would like a vegetarian version, you can make these quinoa. Recipe here:  Quinoa Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. Cabbage has many health benefits you can have in a dish such as this one.

Health Benefits of Cabbage

  • Low in calories and fat, making it a weight-loss-friendly food. 
  • Contains antioxidants, such as vitamin C and anthocyanins, which reduce inflammation and protect against heart disease. 
  • Provides potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. 

 

Greek stuffed cabbage

For a finishing sauce you can add the egg and lemon sauce!

 

For more photos and instructions on the Cabbage  Cooking Techniques. 

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Cooking Techniques : Stuffed Cabbage Rolls – “Lahano Dolmathes”

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Use this technique for the recipe: Stuffed Cabbage Rolls -” Lahano Dolmathes” here: Greek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls 

Wash cabbage and remove center core.
Plunge cabbage into boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Peel cabbage leaves gently and set-aside.


Mix ground beef with the remaining ingredients.


Place a tablespoon or so of the filling onto the cabbage leaf, towards the bottom of the leaf.


Roll in the sides of the leaf as you roll up the cabbage.

Place the rolls snugly into a deep dutch pot. Place second layer on top.

Fill the pot with the reserved cabbage juice, approx. 3 cups or until it reaches the top.


Place a small plate on top to hold down the cabbage. Cover pot and place on med-high to boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve plain with juice, or with Egg and Lemon Sauce

If you are serving with lemon-sauce, take the pot off the heat. Add sauce and gently stir in the sauce.

Enjoy this dish!

Mary 

 

 

 

 

 

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Baked Fish Plaki with Tomatoes and Onions

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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I have been making Baked Fish Plaki for my family holidays, birthdays, and summer events for years! Any white fish can be used in this recipe. It is fast and easy to prepare and a delicious main dish served with a salad and fresh bread. Baked Fish Plaki is simply an onion-mixture with tomatoes cooked down with wine and cinnamon. Please try and not omit the cinnamon, this is what gives it a Grecian touch. Fish that can be substituted is halibut, bass, or cod. Do not use a thin fish fillet, for it will vanish into the sauce. The aroma of this dish takes me back to the seaports of Greece. This special dish was inspired by my walks along our coastal waters in California. For more detailed  cooking instructions, take a look here,  Cooking Techniques for Baked Fish with Tomatoes and Onions.

What are the Health Benefits of Eating Fish?

  1. Fish is filled with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins such as D and B2 (riboflavin).
  2. Fish is rich in calcium and phosphorus and a great source of minerals, such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium.
  3. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least two times per week as part of a healthy diet.
  4. Look here for more information on all sustainable caught fish from the Monterey Consumer Guide.

Baked Fish Plaki with Tomatoes and Onions

Greek Cod Fish with Onions
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Baked Fish with Tomatoes and Onions - "Plaki "

Plaki is a traditional Sunday fish dinner in our home. This recipe can be easily doubled for company

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Greek
Keyword dinner, fish, Greek, plaki, tomatoes
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh boneless cod, bass, or halibut
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped or two cans (14 ozs.) of chopped tomatoes with juice
  • 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup red wine

Instructions

  1. Rinse fish and place in an oiled baking pan.
  2. For the sauce: Heat oil in frying pan and saute onions and garlic on medium heat for 10 minutes or until soft.
  3. Stir in tomatoes, parsley, cinnamon, oregano, salt, pepper, and red wine.
  4. Cook for 10 minutes. Pour sauce over fish.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Spoon juice over fish.
  6. Serve warm.

Other fish dishes you can visit:

Brown Butter Pasta with Shrimp

Brown Butter Pasta with Shrimp

Greek Grilled Whole Fish with Greens and Lemons

Greek Grilled Whole Fish

Favorite Salt Baked Fish

Salt Baked Fish

Enjoy these meals!

 

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Baked Greek Fish with Tomatoes and Onions – “Plaki” – Technique Tuesday

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Baked Greek Fish with Tomatoes and Onions – “Plaki” – Technique

Use this page to make the Baked Fish Plaki recipe on my blog. This recipe is a traditional baked fish dish my mother passed down to me and I have made hundreds of times. Once, you learn the basics to this method, you can create your own special dish.  I prefer fresh fish at all times. You can use Cod, Halibut or any fish that can stand up with baking without falling apart. No fillets, please. But, if I’m in a pinch, and I need dinner made in a hurry, I always stock my freezer with frozen fillets.

I used Costco’s Wild Caught Cod Fillets by Trident . As you can see one bag gives you eight nice size pieces.

Cod for Greek Plaki Fish Dinner
Wash and place fillets in a large oiled baking dish.

Satueed Onions for Plaki

For the Sauce: Place olive oil in frying pan. Add sliced onions and garlic. Cook on medium for 10 minutes until soft. Do not brown.

Tomato mixture for the Plaki Greek Dish
Add remaining ingredients, and cook for another 10 minutes.

Greek Plaki with Onions and Tomatoes

Pour sauce over fish and bake for 45 minutes. I like to arrange the fish on a platter if yo have a buffet style dinner.

Greek Baked Fish Plaki

I hope your dish is successful,

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Inspired by the California Coast

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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” The ocean is as deep as you see it”

Writing this inspirational post is an obvious one since you know I grew up in southern California area and now live by the coast.  When I need a rest from my busy brain, or just need a form of exercise I do head out to my favorite walk along the coast and take in some of that cool, crisp air that greets you in the early morning.

Over the years, I’ve learned to sit on a rock and just observe the tide, the color of the sand, and the many activities that occur seasonally in the area. During the winter,  many new happenings are springing up. We have small baby sanderling birds hopping along with short skinny legs in search of early lunch which might include clams and leftover fish pieces their parents have dropped for them on the warm sand to nibble on.



The tide is lower than usual , and the dark blackened rock formations are beautifully displayed as the waves crash up against their toughened edges. The tide pools are visible for all children to play and explore with this time of year. Included are the multiple levels of sea life hanging on to dear life as the sun shines upon them as the tide ebb and flows. Star fish, sea slugs, mussels, and mossy-green painted plants are the many tide pool treasures that emerge, for all birds to quickly feast on.

 

As I continue down the coast the smells from the camp fires are just beginning as the sun is slowly setting. The surfers are out in the record numbers as they observe the silence of the afternoon.  And the many coastal birds are satisfied and retreating to their favorite warm rocks. The quietness of this once busy day is once again settling in for a restful sleep.

My inspiration cannot be full enough as I make my way back up the path, to where I started. The senses in my head are entangled with one another, as I slowly head back home. These beach experiences will now take me back to my real world, into the kitchen, so I may create the dish that inspires me the most from my visit to the ocean.

Try and visit the California Coast soon!

Mary 

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