This Instant Pot Bean Soup is an Albanian recipe for fasule. This bean soup is cooked mostly during winter time. I remember back home, we used the leftovers the next day with rice. It was almost a tradition. The left overs taste even better the next day and served with rice they’re delicious!!
The white beans are very nutritious, they’re high in fiber, protein, calcium, iron, manganese, choline etc. Eating beans helps lower cholesterol, improve blood pressure and help keep one full longer. They also help improve energy levels and improve blood sugar balance, which makes it a favorite food among diabetics.
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Instant Pot Bean Soup
Soaking the Beans
Eat the Leftovers
Meat or No-Meat?
Serving Suggestions
I remember visiting different family members and they all served the bean soup slightly differently. Some served it with warm bread. Some used green onions or white onions as a side dish. Some others sprinkled fresh spicy peppers to make the soup spicy. I remember in my house we tried to always serve a side of pickled vegetables in olive oil when serving bean soup.
Bean Soup served with Bread, Spicy Red Pepper, Green Onions, Olives and Pickled Vegetables.
Instant Pot Bean Soup Recipe
Instant Pot Bean Soup - Albanian Fasule
Ingredients
- 1 lb white beans
- 1.25 lbs beef shanks for soup with bone
- 1 big white onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 carrots
- 4 tbsps olive oil add more if you skip the beef shanks
- 2 tbsps chopped fresh parsley
- 0.5 tsp minced garlic
- 0.5 tbsps salt
- 1 can diced or crushed tomatoes 14.5 ozs
- 1 liter hot water
- 3 bay leaves
- 0.5 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Soak beans in a pot of cold water overnight
- Chop onions, pepper, carrots and parsley.
- Sautee or brown beef shanks in olive oil. Flip them around.
- Once brown on both sides, add the chopped veggies and keep sauteing together.
- Get the beans that were soaking in water, put them in colander and rinse. Add the beans to the instant pot as well as the diced tomatoes. At this point, you can add a pinch of paprika, bay leaves and some garlic.
- Add 1 liter of water. Close the lid and cook in high on the Beans/Chilli setting for about 1 hour. Check that beans are soft to eat, if not check water level and add more if needed. Cook for another 30 minutes or as long as needed for the beans to be soft.
Sarah
Thank you for posting an Instantpot grosh recipe! I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Albania and my husband is Albanian. We were missing grosh so much after moving back to the US. We love this recipe so much. Faleminderit shume!
admin
Thank you so much Sarah!! I really appreciate you reading my blog & trying out the recipe:)).
Thank you also for volunteering in Albania. It’s hard sometimes to express in one recipe all the different versions and be inclusive of all traditions but it makes me happy when people try it and like it! All the best to you & your husband:). If there’s ever an Albanian recipe you want to try, just let me know the name and I’ll post it for you.
Eni
Hi Sonila,
Haven’t had grosh in about 20 years and im looking forward on making this this weekend. At what point do you add the sautee meat and veggies in the instant pot?
admin
Hi Eni:))), thank you for reading my blog!! I sautee or lightly brown the meat in the instant pot, lid off and use sautee function. Then when you have added it everything else, close it and set in high pressure so it can cook all together.
You can also cook it in a regular pot in stovetop, it takes much longer to cook but it becomes more creamy.
Oh and if you use the instant pot, don’t be afraid to cook the beans a little longer just to get the right consistency.
Eni
It turned out amazing.thanks for the recipe. 🙂
admin
❤️❤️ so happy to hear that:))). Thank you Eni!!
Lori
How long do I cook if I am not using the instapot?
Sonila
Hi Lori, if not using any pressure cooker at all, but a regular pot on stovetop I’d bring to boil, then lower heat to simmer. Cover with a lid and let cook on slow for about 90 minutes. Check occasionally and if becoming too thick add few tbsps of hot water at a time, not too much. Thank you:)
Tommi Friedman
Hello! Question: I am in Tirana and got a cured ham from the Organic Shop. Would you recommend cubing it or putting it in whole?
admin
Hi Tommi, thanks for writing! Enjoy your trip in Tirana. If the cured ham is a decent size, I’d add it whole.
Ellen
Ah … yes!!! Fasule … grosh … whatever you want to name it … it is truly a delicious and nutritious dish …. we all love it! Now, what goes better with fasule – a nice warm kulac! Here’s my question (nice lead-in using the fasule .. yes?!) I don’t see any bread recipes in your listing (maybe I’m looking in the wrong place) but some recipes I have seen for kulac either use yogurt, buttermilk and/or a whole milk/water combo….how confusing. I really need an authentic kulac recipe for my Albanian recipe collection. Can you help? Warmest best wishes to you, Sonila, and to your family for a Happy Holiday season!
“Irish” Ellen
Sonila
Hi Ellen, I have few bread recipes already published but haven’t published kulac yet. I make my kulac with flour, yogurt, salt, baking soda and olive oil. I have a similar recipe to kulac but it is cornbread instead. I will definitely prioritize my kulac recipe now and make it by January and share it with you. If there’s any other Albanian recipe you are looking for let me know and I will add to my list to make soon:).
In the meantime I have few other bread recipes I can share with you: 1. Albanian home bread, 2. 5 Ingredient bread and 3. Cheese breads.
All the best:)
Sonila
Leslie Brunson
I always make fasula after a ham dinner.The ham bone is great for flavor..
Sonila
Aww thank you Leslie:)). Yes it is perfect!!! I was hesitant to include any bone/type of meat in the recipe. It’s usually (in a more traditional sense) cooked without one but I also remember my grandma saying that it tastes a lot better if you include any cut with bone in it. It makes the stew richer!! Thank you for commenting and I am happy you cook this dish too.
Gina
Ah – I’ve got to get me an instapot. This looks awesome!!! We live beans and this week is perfect for soup!!! Yum
admin
Thank you Gina!! Yes, it’s definitely the perfect week for soup!!
Nero N
Great post and it looks delicious!
Sonila
Thank you Nero!!
Ntensibe Edgar Michael
Damn, Sonila, you’re speaking my language….exactly the way it’s supposed to flow…..bean soup and beef! The best….
Colleen
I love this! Baking is kinda my jam, but I also make a mean soup and this recipe sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing 🙂
admin
Thank you Colleen:). Hope you enjoy it! I’ll check out some of your baking:))
Kristina | Spirit of the soul
This looks like a great recipe that I will try! Looks so yummy!
Ntensibe Edgar Michael
Dddaaammmmnnnnn…it’s a must-try for me!
Pearl
I had never heard of this soup before but it looks amazing. I would have to try this one for a weekday dinner.
Sonila
It’s delicious and easy to make!! Perfect for cold winter days:)
Gillian Kent
What a delicious soup for a cold day. I love bean soups from scratch.
Stephanie Stebbins
I was *just* thinking about some good soups I could make. Yay, new recipe!
Tamieka S
Such a great recipe. This is perfect for the upcoming cold season. Thank you for sharing.
Trish Veltman
Another gorgeous recipe to try! I always like discovering new soups, and this looks like a perfect cold evening one.
admin
It’s very easy to make, sometimes a bit time consuming because you want to make sure beans are cooked well but it’s so worth it in a cold night!!