Greek bean is the umbrella term for beans used in Greek cuisine. Contemporary Greek cooking makes wide use of beans such as fava beans, black eye bean, string beans and lentils.
One of the most popular uses of bean in Greek cuisine can be seen in Fasolada (bean soup), the National dish of Greece, which typically includes beans with other ingredients. Many Greek salads, vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes also make good use of different varieties of beans.
Varieties of Bean Used in Greek Recipes
Greek cuisine has a vast range of beans being used in an assortment of dishes. Here are a few varieties that are particularly grown and used in Greece:
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Fava beans – also known as broad bean, it is commonly used to make fava. It is a very popular Greek bean recipe that usually includes broad bean, but yellow split pea sometimes substitutes the fava beans.
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Black eye pea – known as ‘mavormati’ in Greece, it is a medium-sized white bean with an eye-like black circle in the middle. It is widely used in Greek cuisine to make soups, salads and even gravy dishes.
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Red kidney bean – this is one of the most popular varieties of bean used in Greek cookery. Gravy dishes including vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian ingredients make good use of these red-hued beans. These beans come in different sizes and the color also slightly varies between different types.
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French beans – also popular as string beans or runner beans, it is a green bean variety that is most commonly used as fresh in Greek salads, rice, meat and soup dishes.
Popular Greek Bean Recipes
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Fasolada – It is a very commonly served bean soup in Greece. Especially prepared with dry white beans, this dish is a perfect mélange of Greek flavors. Tomato sauce and celery are used to enhance the flavor whereas carrots are added to provide volume to the soup. Seasoning is done with olive oil, salt and pepper. Being the National dish of Greece, fasolada is traditionally served on Greek festivals and special occasions.
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Fava – It is a typical Greek bean puree that is originally made with fava broad beans. It is particularly used as a base for various other dishes. Smoked pork and red caper sauce are also often added to make a hearty dish.
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Fasolakia freska – It is a traditional green bean stew served in Greek vegetarian meals. Potatoes, zucchini and tomatoes are combined with beans to produce this stew.
Nutritional Value of Greek Beans
Beans used in Greek cuisine have great importance due to the fact that they are low in fats and rich in proteins and dietary fibers. Various minerals are also present in Greek bean along with useful traces of vitamin B.