Fasolada (navy bean soup) with rustic sausages

Nikoletta Ralli, TV hostess.

Traditional and quintessentially Greek, this recipe is the epitome of winter comfort food!

Preparation: 15 minutes (+ at least 8 hours to soak the beans)

Cooking: 1-1½ hour
Servings: 4

Ingredients
500 g medium-size beans
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
1 leek
2 carrots
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 tablespoons mustard
500 g tomato juice
800 g vegetable stock/broth
1 rustic sausage
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Soak the beans the night before, or for at least 8 hours, in water together with 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
 Finely chop the onion, leek and carrots. Sauté the finely chopped onion, leek, and carrots over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste, sweet paprika, and mustard and continue sautéing for 1 more minute. Add the beans, tomato juice, vegetable stock/broth and enough water to fully cover all the ingredients. Once the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer until the beans become creamy.
In the meantime, prepare the sausage. Chop the sausage into thick slices. Sauté in a non-stick pan until golden brown. Serve the fasolada in deep bowls, topped with pieces of sausage.