A classic Greek fasolada white bean soup made quick and easy thanks to the Instant Pot!

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This Instant Pot version of Greek fasolada takes less than half the original time. It’s a classic white bean soup with a tomato base that’s rich, hearty, and delicious. I’m also going to tell you how to take this to the next level with a gremolata topping. Gremolata is herbs in a zesty lemon and olive oil dressing. Now, traditionally fasolada is dressed with parsley and dried oregano. However, the gremolata just makes it extra delicious, so I have to tell you about it!
Why you’ll love this quick fasolada recipe
- Tender beans and sweet carrots
- Rich, hearty broth
- Lemony herb gremolata
- A delicious classic Greek white bean soup made in the Instant Pot!

Simple ingredients
- White beans –navy, Great northern, or cannellini would be great substitutes
- Olive oil
- Carrots –chop to the size you like. I like the carrots to be a little chunkier.
- Celery stalks
- Onion
- Garlic cloves –grated
- Crushed tomatoes –even fresh tomatoes grated on a box grater would be good.
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Crushed red pepper flakes –you can choose how much heat you like
- Vegetable broth or water –add less if you prefer your soup to be thicker
For the Gremolata:
- Chopped parsley leaves
- Chopped rosemary leaves
- Garlic cloves –grated
- Lemons –zest and juice
- Salt
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Olive oil
Tips for the beans
Unfortunately, beans can vary in cook times. So, even though I give you cook times, it may take a little longer. However, the best thing to do is soak the beans overnight in cool water and then drain the water off before using them. They’ll cook perfectly every time. You can use fresh un-soaked beans right to the pot, but you’ll definitely have to tweak the timing to ensure the beans are done.

Make-ahead Greek Fasolada
Anytime you make fasolada, you should make a double batch! You can eat half and freeze the other half for later. It freezes beautifully, and you’ll have a delicious Greek classic ready any time you need it. So, let the soup completely cool after cooking and put it into airtight containers. Leave room in the container as the soup will expand in the freezer and freeze for up to three months.
Move the frozen soup to the refrigerator to thaw the night before you’re going to use it, then warm it in a pot. You may need to add more broth or water while warming since the beans may have soaked up more of the broth.
How to make Greek Fasolada in the Instant Pot
- Rinse the beans and soak them overnight in a bowl covered with cold water.
- Set the Instant pot to the Sauté feature and add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until soft -about 8-10 minutes.
- Drain the water from the beans and add them to the pot.
- Then, add the garlic, tomatoes, seasonings, and water or broth.
- Close the lid and set the valve to the sealed position.
- Pressure cook on high for 40 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release for 20 minutes naturally.
- Then, open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
- Check the beans for doneness. If they’re still not soft, either pressure cook for an additional 10 minutes or sauté until they’re tender.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Make the Gremolata:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Serving
You can garnish your soup with chopped parsley and dried oregano or top it with the gremolata. I serve my fasolada with feta and olives on the side, along with some crusty bread. Your family will think you cooked for hours! If you want to try the original recipe, you can find it here. I also have a 30-minute version made with precooked beans you can find here. Kali Orexi!
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More Instant Pot Recipes:
- Lamb Stifado Stew with Shallots
- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Greek Lentil Soup
- Lemony Greek Chicken & Orzo Soup

Greek Fasolada in the Instant Pot : Pressure Cooker White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound (455g) dry white beans (cannelloni or navy beans)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 5-6 garlic cloves, grated
- 28 ounces (800g) crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 12 cups water or vegetable stock
For the Gremolata:
- 1 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup finely chopped rosemary leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
- salt to taste
- a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse the beans and if you can, soak them overnight in a bowl covered with cold water.
- Set the Instant pot to the Saute feature and add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and celery. Saute until soft. About 8-10 minutes.
- Drain the water from the beans and add them to the pot.
- Add the garlic, tomatoes, seasonings, and the water/broth.
- Close the lid and set the valve to the sealed position.
- Pressure cook on high for 40 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to naturally release for 20 minutes.
- Open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
- Check the beans for doneness. If they're still not soft, either pressure cook for an additional 10 minutes or saute until they're tender.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Make the Gremolata: Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix together. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Serve the soup with feta,olives, toasted bread, and the gremolata.
- Kali Orexi!
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I am sharing your white bean soup recipe with my daughter Alexandra. We are exchanging lent recipes because we are Greek orthodox and will celebrate Greek Easter this year together. Alexandra does not have an instant pot but she has a crockpot. How long does she need to cook the bean soup in the crockpot? If you don’t have an answer I will look at my mothers recipe on how she cooked bean soup on her stove top thanks
my husband is greek and his late papou used to make this soup. I made it for him today and while we love it and the flavors are great, the ratio of liquid to veggies is way off for some reason. we have a lot of liquid and not many beans. I followed the recipe exactly except omitted celery. i soaked 1lb of beans overnight. any ideas what I did wrong?