White Bean Soup – Albanian Jani Me Fasule

A bowl full of Albanian comfort food, this instant pot White Bean Soup (Jani Me Fasule) packs a  punch from a very small ingredient list. Perfect for Sunday lunch with friends, or mid-week meal.

Why We Love This

This soup is a great make ahead meal, as well as being healthy and full of flavour. It’s so versatile, perfect for a cold winter’s night or even a hot summer’s day.

Rich and hearty, it’s unbelievable how easy and hands-off it is – with only 10 minutes of prep! You can’t go wrong with this instant pot bean soup, just pop everything in and let it cook itself!

What is White Bean Soup? 

Popular throughout Eastern Europe, white bean soup goes by many names – jani me fasule in Albania, kuru fasulye in Turkey, fasolada in Greece or even fasoulia for the Arabic version.

The base of the soup is usually made up of white beans (usually cannellini beans), capsicum, tomato and olive oil with a simple stock, resulting in a light but tasty soup. It’s especially good if you’re sick or dished up as an entrée.

Where We Learned This

Gleefully escaping the summer’s heat into our host Eriona’s cool apartment, we thought the last thing we could possibly eat would be soup. One mouthful was enough to tell us just how wrong we were!

This instant pot Albanian Jani Me Fasule recipe is a beloved family favourite from Tirana, Albania, handed down through the generations, and interestingly, it’s their go-to Monday-night recipe.

Our version was cooked on a stovetop pressure cooker, but any pressure cooker will do – such as an Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi.

What You’ll Need

• White Beans – Cannellini beans work best, but butter beans also work, or kidney beans in a pinch. We use canned white beans to save time. If using dried white beans, wash first and soak overnight to soften, then rinse and continue with the recipe.
• Veggies – Onions and red capsicum / bell peppers serve as the base for our recipe. Feel free to add any extra vegetables such as celery or carrot too.
• Olive Oil – High quality olive oil will give you a richer flavour. Since we’re only briefly sautéing over low heat, there’s no need to worry about the oil smoking. Sub with vegetable oil if needed. 
• Passata – This is essentially uncooked tomato puree strained of the seeds and skin. Room temperature works best, so if yours is fresh from the fridge, run it under warm water to bring it up to room temperature. You can also use tomato paste or chopped tomato.
• Herbs and Spices – You’ll need oregano and paprika. If possible, use fresh oregano for a more intense flavour. Sub with dried oregano if needed. We used hot paprika for a hint of spice, but sweet or smoky paprika also work well.
• Beef Stock – We use beef stock powder dissolved in hot water. Use the ratio of 1 tsp stock powder to 1 cup (250 ml) boiling water. Vegetable and chicken stock can also be used as a substitute.

Wandercook’s Tips

• Develop the flavours – Allow the flavours to deepen over time and serve up over the next few days after cooking.
• Using Dried Oregano? Freshen It Up First – Heat through in a dry frying pan for a few minutes over a medium heat (but don’t allow it to burn). You’ll smell the difference almost immediately, as your stale dried herbs come to life with a little heat and release their pent up fragrance. 
• Leftovers? – Serve the next day with rice.
• Thicken the soup – While this soup is meant to be quite watery, you can thicken by simmering for a further 30 minutes – 1 hour with the lid off.
• Side ideas – Crusty warm bread or garlic bread is a fantastic addition. You can also have with salty foods – such as anchovies or olives.
• Add cheese – sprinkle freshly shaved Parmesan over the top before serving for extra bite.

FAQs

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