Jani Me Fasule: Albanian White Bean Soup
Jani me Fasule is a traditional Albanian white bean soup full of flavor and aromatic spices. This hearty soup made with white beans and vegetables is vegetarian or vegan, wonderfully filling, and—thanks to its creamy texture—almost reminiscent of a stew. With this recipe, I’d like to recreate the Albanian bean soup just as I came to know and love it during my trip through Albania. It tastes especially delicious with a piece of good bread to dip in it.
What is Jani me Fasule?
Jani me Fasule is a traditional Albanian bean soup made with white beans, vegetables, and aromatic spices. I first encountered it on a trip through Albania in 2018: I spent two weeks traveling there—from the mountains to the coast and to various cities—and this hearty soup was a constant companion throughout my journey.
I’ve had it in different variations: sometimes wonderfully creamy and entirely plant-based, and other times I wasn’t quite sure if butter (which I could clearly taste in the pasta, for example, even after asking) or even beef broth was used, as I’ve also found in some recipes. As with many traditional dishes, there isn’t just one way to prepare Jani me Fasule.
Plant-based dishes aren’t always the norm in Albania, although I almost exclusively had very delicious food there. This Jani me Fasule recipe is 100% vegan and aims to capture the flavors and the typical creamy consistency of this Albanian bean soup as authentically as possible.
Similar Bean Soups in the Balkans
The Albanian bean soup Jani me Fasule is part of a whole family of traditional bean dishes in the Balkans. These include, among others, the Serbian Pasulj, the Greek Fasolada, and the Turkish Kuru Fasulye.
While Pasulj and some variations of Kuru Fasulye are often prepared with meat, Fasolada is traditionally meatless. There are also differences in seasoning. Albanian Jani me Fasule falls somewhere in between in terms of flavor—just as it does geographically.
As with many traditional dishes, there is no single “original” recipe. Every family cooks its own version, sometimes a bit spicier, sometimes a bit creamier. At its core, however, Jani me Fasule always remains a hearty white bean soup.
Ingredients for an Albanian Bean Soup
This Albanian bean soup Jani me Fasule requires just a few simple ingredients. White beans, aromatic vegetables, and the right seasoning give it its characteristic flavor and creamy consistency.
- White beans: I use plain dried white beans—the kind that are usually simply labeled “white beans” on the package. You can often find them in Turkish supermarkets. Alternatively, cannellini beans or other white beans work well too. The most important thing is that the beans are nice and soft after cooking so that the soup achieves its characteristic creamy consistency. You can also use pre-cooked beans from a jar or can, which significantly cuts down on preparation time.
- Onion: Forms the aromatic base of the soup.
- Red bell pepper: Adds a hint of sweetness.
- Carrot: Rounds out the flavor with its natural sweetness.
- Olive oil: This is used to sauté the vegetables and to make the roux that gives the soup its creamy consistency.
- Flour: A small amount of flour provides the traditional thickening for the soup.
- Tomato paste: It gives the bean soup a rich color and more depth of flavor.
- Spices and herbs: Paprika, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper provide the soup’s characteristic aroma.
- Vegetable broth: I use (homemade) vegetable stock, but store-bought broth works just as well, of course.
Variations on Jani me Fasule
Even though Jani me Fasule traditionally uses just a few ingredients, this Albanian bean soup can be adapted to suit your taste. The following ingredients aren’t part of the classic version, but they work well if you want to tweak the soup a bit or make it even heartier.
- Potatoes: Potatoes make the soup even more filling and pair very well with the white beans. However, they are not part of the classic preparation of Jani me Fasule.
- Smoked tofu: For a higher-protein vegan version, you can add diced smoked tofu. It adds a hearty note and makes the bean soup even more substantial.
- Additional or different herbs: In addition to oregano, thyme, savory, parsley, or lovage also pair very well with white bean soup. Depending on your taste, you can use them to slightly adjust the flavor.
- A little spicier: If you like your food spicier, you can add a little chili or chili flakes. The mild heat pairs wonderfully with the soup’s aromatic spices.
How to Make Albanian Bean Soup
Making Jani me Fasule is straightforward—the beans actually take up most of the time. With these tips, your Albanian bean soup will turn out especially well:
- Soak the beans: The dried beans should be soaked overnight so they cook evenly and become tender.
- Sauté the vegetables slowly: Give the onion, bell pepper, and carrot time to develop their full flavor.
- Toast the spices briefly: This brings out even more flavor in the tomato paste, paprika, and oregano.
- Let the soup simmer long enough: This allows the flavors to blend, resulting in a particularly harmonious bean soup.
- Puree some of the beans: Toward the end of the cooking time, puree a small portion of the beans with a little liquid. This makes Jani me Fasule wonderfully creamy.
By the way, I didn’t discover this technique until later. Ever since I learned about pasta e fagioli, I’ve enjoyed pureeing a small portion of the beans when making bean soups. This brings the consistency very close to the creamy texture I experienced in Albania.
What goes well with Jani me Fasule?
For me, the most important side dish for Jani me Fasule is, without a doubt, bread!
A simple white bread works especially well—you can dip it into the thick soup. The creamy texture and aromatic sauce soak into the bread wonderfully—it’s exactly this combination that makes the bean soup so filling and comforting.
Of course, other types of good bread also go well with it, such as sourdough or flatbread. The most important thing is that it has enough crust and texture to really soak up the soup.
Storage and Shelf Life
Jani me Fasule is great for making ahead, because—like many bean dishes—the soup often tastes even more flavorful the next day.
It will keep in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for about 3–4 days. When reheating, you can add a little water or vegetable broth if needed, as the soup thickens slightly due to the beans and their starch.
The bean soup also freezes very well. After thawing, reheat slowly and adjust the consistency with a little liquid if needed.
Discover More Vegan Soups
I hope you enjoy this “Jani me Fasule” as much as I do and that it brings a little piece of Albania to your plate. If you like hearty vegan soups made with legumes, you’ll find even more delicious recipes on my blog.
Try my Italian white bean soup, for example—it shows just how different dishes made with white beans can taste. Or my creamy Turkish lentil soup, if you’re in the mood for another warming soup from Middle Eastern cuisine.
Të bëftë mirë!
(Literally: “May it do you good.” – the Albanian way of saying “Enjoy your meal!“)
Jani Me Fasule: Albanian White Bean Soup (vegan/vegetarian)
Ingredients
- 250 g dry white beans (small- to medium-sized ones)
- 1 onion
- ½ red bell pepper
- 1 carrot a smaller one
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tbsp tomato paste
- 1.5 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp paprika powder
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp (homemade) vegetable stock powder
- 5 cups water approx. 1.25 l (43 fl oz)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Soak and cook the beans: Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water. The next day, rinse them and cook them in fresh, unsalted water until tender. Depending on the type of beans and soaking time, this takes about 45–90 minutes.
- Prepare the vegetables: Finely chop the onion, bell pepper, and carrot.
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a pot and slowly sauté the vegetables over low to medium heat until the onion is translucent.
- Add the seasoning: Add the tomato paste, oregano, and paprika powder and sauté briefly.
- Prepare the soup: Stir in the flour and let it cook briefly. Then add the vegetable broth or vegetable bouillon powder, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and the cooked beans.
- Simmer and blend: Let everything simmer together for about 15–30 minutes. For the typical thick and creamy consistency, remove the bay leaf and, towards the end of the cooking time, blend a small portion of the soup with an immersion blender. Then stir it back into the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Serve with fresh bread.
Notes
- The quantity is sufficient for 4 to 5 portions.
- Instead of the vegetable stock powder plus water, you can also use 1.25 l (43 fl oz) of ready-made vegetable stock.
- If there are any leftovers: The soup often tastes even better the next day, as the flavors continue to meld together.
This is not how Albanians make this. We do not use tomato paste in this. While it is healthy to put peppers and carrots, thats also not typically in it. Also, we simmer the beans for hours and hours, adding water as needed, then add the onions sautéed with paprika to the beans and water they have been simmered in for hours. Then after that simmers for a while, we add the vegeta at the very end and let that meld together for 15-20 min more. Your recipe is fine but its not authentic.
Dear Mina, thank you for taking the time to comment on my recipe. I have eaten Jani me Fasule several times during my trip through Albania and it tasted always very different. I believe there are differences from region to region and family to family. Before I cooked the soup the first time I checked several recipes on YouTube, but not like me – an Austrian trying to cook Albanian food – I watched especially videos from Albanians. And mostly if not always they use tomato sauce or tomato paste. The way to prepare it is so different from video to video. Many use a pressure cooker instead of cooking them slow (which might be the traditional way, before people had pressure cookers). And not all but many include carrots (often cooked with the beans, like the onions, then mashed with the fork, I chopped them small instead) and some use peppers. Some also add meat to it. I love the way you describe it, it sounds very nice as well. Do you soak the beans before you simmer them so long (because I imagine they fall apart)?
Yes the beens are let to soak a few hours before cooking. By absorbing water ahead of the boiling process their skins rejuvenate and are less likely to separate from the core. Worst been soup possible is if you boil them too fast and without pre-soaking and the skins separate in the pot. That is a disaster. By the way this usually happens to beens who have been sitting for a few years from the time of harvest.
Do not forget white beens are dried vegetables.
You are tight there is a division line between the use of papprika or tomatoe paste.
Kosovo Albanians due to living in the north where tomatoes were not grown as a fruit and hence unavailable use papprika obtained by drying red pepper. Kosovo produces a huge amount of peppers. I assume the same is valid for othe inland Balkan countries.
Albania being a mediterranean country uses tomatoes and tomatoe paste (concentrate) due to having a Mediterranean climate.
Tomato paste was to go to basic ingredient during communism when food was scarce and fridges absent.
In the summer season we use grated ripe tomatoes instead foe a fresher flavor profile.
I have given abothe the recipe of my grandmother re-stating it here
Wash the beens and live a few hours soaking in their own water.
Emty the water and fill pot with fresh water. Put over high heat until it starts to boil and then scale down to low heat. Remove with spoon any foam if it forms on the surface.
Keep boiling until the beens tuen color from white to a light beige or skin colour.
Pres one been with your fingers. If it turns into a paste without leaving grittle it is cooked. Switch heat to low.
Chop one medium onion fine. In a heated pan add olive oil add the onions and start sweating it over a medium heat. Keep going until it is translucent. Increase the heat and keep mixing until.it starts to caramelize in the corners, add one table spoon of tomatoe paste to the onions and keep mixing 2-3min. You wanna cook out the acidity of the tomatoe paste through the heat of rhe pan and the injection of caramelized onion. To the pan start adding 4-5 spoons of the bean liquid so that the mixture turns into a thick liquid gravy. Then empty the contents of the pan completely in the bean pot. Mix gently and increase heat to medium so that the content starts to simmer gently. This is the moment you add salt to the been soup and mix well. Taste that is the correct ammount and add more if neccessary in small amounts.
Simmer for 10min for the flavours to mix and the beens to absorbe the flavors and the salt. With the back of a wooden spoon smash a couple of times skme beens against the inside walls of the pot. This will help thicken a bit the liquid. Mix and turn of heat completely but leaving the beens in the same position of the stove to simmer with their own heat until the simmering stops..remove to a cooler spot of the stove.
Serve like a soup, with warm bread or toated bread to the side. Serve with pickled cabbage salad or pickled green tomatoes or olives. Also you can add chilly flakes to it and a bit of olive oil for a great kick.
Been soup should not be liquidy and runny. The liquid is thick and should almost cover the back of a spoon. Enjoy!
Yes the beens are left to soak a few hours before cooking. By absorbing water ahead of the boiling process their skins rejuvenate and are less likely to separate from the core. Worst been soup possible is if you boil them too fast and without pre-soaking and the skins separate in the pot. That is a disaster. By the way this usually happens to beens who have been sitting for a few years from the time of harvest.
Do not forget white beens are dried vegetables.
You are right there is a division line between the use of papprika or tomatoe paste.
Kosovo Albanians due to living in the north where tomatoes were not grown as a fruit and hence unavailable use papprika obtained by drying red pepper. Kosovo produces a huge amount of peppers. I assume the same is valid for othe inland, colder, Balkan countries.
Albania being a mediterranean country uses tomatoes and tomatoe paste (concentrate) due to having a Mediterranean climate.
Tomato paste was to go to basic ingredient during communism when food was scarce and fridges absent.
In the summer season we use grated ripe tomatoes instead for a fresher flavor profile.
I have given in a comment above the recipe of my grandmother but am rewriting it here.
Wash the beans changing the water a couple of times to get rid of dust and dried stems who usually float at the top. Put them in a pot fill with water and leave them a few hours soaking in their own water.
Emty the water and fill the pot with fresh water. Put over high heat until it starts to boil and then scale down to medium heat. Add water from time to time so that the beans float freely in it. Remove with spoon any foam if it forms on the surface which is very rare.
Keep boiling until the beans turn color from white to a light beige or skin colour.
Press one bean between two of your fingers. If it turns into a paste without leaving a hard coarse feeling, it means they are cooked. Switch heat to low.
Chop one medium onion fine. In a heated pan add olive oil add the onions and start sweating it over a medium heat. Keep going until it is translucent. Increase the heat and keep mixing until it starts to caramelize in the corners. Add one table spoon of tomatoe paste to the onions and keep mixing 2-3min. You wanna cook out the acidity of the tomatoe paste through the heat of the pan and the injection of caramelized onion. By the way tomatoe paste is used because it has less acidity due to being slow cooked tomatoes. To the pan start adding 4-5 spoons of the liquid from the bean pot, so that the mixture turns into a liquid gravy almost. Then empty the whole pan of onion tomatoe and mixture into the bean pot. Mix gently and increase heat to medium so that the content starts to simmer gently. This is the moment you add salt to the been soup and mix well. Taste that is the correct ammount and add more if neccessary in small amounts.
Simmer for 10min for the flavours to mix and the beens to absorbe the flavors and the salt. With the back of a wooden spoon smash a couple of times some beens against the inside walls of the pot. This will help thicken a bit the liquid. Mix and turn of heat completely but leaving the beens in the same position of the stove to simmer with their own heat until the simmering stops. Remove to a cooler spot of the stove.
Serve like a soup, with warm bread or toated bread to the side. Serve with pickled cabbage salad or pickled green tomatoes or olives. Also you can add chilly flakes to it and a bit of olive oil for a great kick.
By the way if you prefer heat you can boil a small chilly with the beens.
Been soup should not be very liquidy and runny. The liquid is thick and should almost cover the back of a spoon. Enjoy!
PS. Carrots where never part of the tradition as they are a much later addition to Albanian traditional recepies.
Peppers are used only in season during sumer and give a different taste to the beens.
The version with meat is usually salt cured lamb or beef and is again very wintery.
In this case the been soup stays white and no onion tomatoe mixture is added. Because the Pasterma ( salt cured meat) gives all the flavour which is very particular.
Dear Armand,
thank you so much for taking time and going into details and also for sharing your grandmothers recipe! I really appreciate your insights and I am happy you share your knowledge with me and others. Everything you write makes sense. Also regarding tomatoes vs. pepper and why tomato paste is/was used.
The soups I ate during my stay in Albania (in September) where white, but with tiny pieces of bell pepper (or maybe it was tomatoes, or both, I can’t recall now) and also carrots. I couldn’t manage to replicate this taste without making it more red than white. Now I read this part of your comment:
“The version with meat is usually salt cured lamb or beef and is again very wintery.
In this case the been soup stays white and no onion tomatoe mixture is added. Because the Pasterma ( salt cured meat) gives all the flavour which is very particular.”
The soup I ate never had meat in it. Do you think I got this kind of soup but leaving the meat inside the pot? I never tasted meat. Maybe only the salt of it. I don’t get it. I would really love to understand the “mystery of jani me fasule” 😉 Especially the tasty whiter versions I ate.
Of course the Dibra region does use tomato paste when frying the onion. Dibra version is simple no carrots or pepper in the winter version.
You boil the beens starting with soaking them a few hours before and changing the water several times. Then yoh bring them to boil from cold water and boil them until they turn colour and become beige. Adding water and mixing from time to time. Slow boil not to separate the skins from the beens although with new beens this tents not to happen but older than 1 year it can.
Once the beens are almost cooked in a separate pan you chop 1 onion fine and sautee in olive oil. Once the onions turn gold and start to caramelize you add one apoon of tomatoe pure. Do not add paprika it has a strong taste and it will give the beens a pepper aftertaste which is not as smooth as tomatoe pure. Kosovo Albanians use papprika not tomatoe pure.
So you mix the tomatoe pure with sautéed onions foe 2min and then add a couple of table spoons of the been liquid to the pan and mix. You tip the whole pan mixture in the pot where you have the beens under low heat and mix well. Add salt and keep boiling a few minutes for the beens to take color and absorbe the sweet taste of onions and tomatoe paste mixture. With a wooden spoon smash a few of the beens against the inside of the pot. The smashed beens turn into a paste and help thicken the liquid.
Enjoy warm, with flajes of chilly if you prefer a bit of heat, a bt of olive oil and definitely a side of pickled green tomatoes or pickled cabbage also made as preserves for the winter.
Peppers are used in the summer when they are in season and are boiled with the beens. They give the dish more of a summery flavour. This is done to make the been soup consumable in the summer as it is known as a winter dish. There are no carrots in Fasule/ Groshe. These are modern additions which are not authentic.
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