Fasulja është ushqimi tipik ngushëllues shqiptar, një supë e pasur dhe e shijshme me fasule të bardha që ka ngrohur familjet shqiptare për shekuj me radhë. Kjo pjatë modeste, e përgatitur me përbërës të thjeshtë, është një dëshmi e bukurisë së gatimit fshatar shqiptar, ku durimi dhe përbërësit e mirë e shndërrojnë të zakonshmen në të jashtëzakonshme.
Preferoni të hani jashtë? Gjeni restorante shqiptare pranë jush, i kërkueshëm sipas qytetit ose kodit postar.
Fasule (Supë me fasule të bardha)
Ingredients
Method
- Kullojini fasulet e zhytura në ujë dhe shpëlajini mirë. Vendosini në një tenxhere të madhe, mbulojini me ujë të freskët dhe lërini të ziejnë. Gatuajini për 10 minuta, pastaj kullojini dhe lërini mënjanë.
- Në të njëjtën tenxhere, ngrohni 2 lugë gjelle vaj ulliri në zjarr mesatar. Shtoni qepët dhe gatuajini derisa të zbuten, rreth 5 minuta.
- Shtoni hudhrën, karotat dhe selinonë. Gatuajini edhe për 3-4 minuta të tjera.
- Përzieni salcën e domates dhe piperin e kuq. Gatuajeni për 1 minutë derisa të lëshojë aromë të këndshme.
- Shtoni fasulet e kulluara, domatet e shtypura, gjethet e dafinës, rigonin dhe 1.5 litra ujë.
- Lëreni të vlojë, pastaj ulni temperaturën në minimum. Mbulojeni dhe lëreni të ziejë ngadalë për 1 deri në 1.5 orë, derisa fasulet të jenë shumë të buta dhe lëngu të jetë trashur.
- Kriposni dhe piperosni. Hiqni gjethet e dafinës.
- Shtoni 2 lugët e mbetura të vajit të ullirit dhe përzieni. Shërbejeni të ngrohtë me bukë krokante.
Notes
Fasule: Pjata më ngushëlluese e Shqipërisë
Fasule (a cousin of Turkish kuru fasulye and Balkan pasulj) is the quintessential Albanian comfort food, a hearty white bean soup that has sustained Albanian families through centuries of harsh winters, difficult times, and everyday life. The word goes back to the Greek fasoli (bean), and in Albanian it names the bean as well as the soup. This humble dish is one of the most familiar meals in Albanian homes.
Recipes differ from kitchen to kitchen, and friendly debates about the “right” way to make it are part of the fun. Some insist on dried beans soaked overnight; others swear by canned for convenience. Some add tomato paste for richness; others prefer a clear broth that lets the bean flavor shine. What everyone agrees on is that fasule tastes best on the second day, after the flavors have had time to meld.
In Albania’s rural regions, fasule was historically a staple of the peasant diet, inexpensive, nutritious, and deeply satisfying. Today it remains one of the most popular dishes across all social classes, served in fine restaurants in Tirana and humble kitchens in remote mountain villages alike. In Albanian-American communities, fasule is one of the dishes most closely tied to memories of home.
Këshilla për Fasulen më të Mirë Shqiptare
Përzgjedhja e fasuleve: Use large white beans (cannellini or Great Northern). Dried beans give the best texture and creamiest broth, soak them overnight in cold water, then drain, boil them in fresh water for 10 minutes, and drain again, exactly as step 1 of the card says.
Baza e sofritos: Start by softening the diced onions in olive oil for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, carrots, and celery, as the card does. This aromatic base is the foundation of great fasule.
Pasta e domates kundrejt domateve të freskëta: The card uses both: 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for color and depth, plus 400 g of crushed tomatoes. Whichever you lean on, the tomato should complement, not overwhelm, the beans.
Erëza: Keep it simple: salt, black pepper, paprika, dried oregano, and two bay leaves, as in the card. Mint is not part of this recipe, but a little fresh or dried mint stirred in near the end is an optional addition some cooks like.
I ulët dhe i ngadaltë: Simmer, covered, on low heat for 1 to 1.5 hours, as the card says. The beans should be very soft and some should start breaking down, creating a naturally creamy broth without any need for blending.
Prekjet përfundimtare: The card finishes the pot with the last 2 tablespoons of olive oil. A squeeze of lemon juice at the table is an optional extra. Serve with crusty bread for dipping.
Variacione në të gjithë Shqipërinë
Fasule me mish (me mish): Versioni i shijshëm përfshin copa mishi derri të tymosur, këmbë viçi ose salçiçe. Mishi zien ngadalë me fasulet, duke krijuar një lëng tepër të pasur.
Fasule e thatë (stil i thatë): I gatuar derisa lëngu të pakësohet në një konsistencë të trashë, si gjellë, në vend të një supe. I popullarizuar në Shqipërinë jugore dhe shpesh shërbehet si pjatë kryesore.
Fasule me spinaq: Fasule me spinaq, një variant ushqyes i zakonshëm gjatë periudhave të agjërimit kur shmanget mishi.
Fasule pllaqi: Një version i pjekur ku fasulet e gatuara pjesërisht transferohen në një tenxhere balte me domate, qepë dhe erëza, pastaj piqen derisa të marrin flluska dhe të karamelizohen sipër.
Fasule e shpejtë: Using canned beans reduces cooking time to 30 minutes. Not traditional but perfectly acceptable for busy weeknights, just finish with good olive oil, as the card does. A touch of mint is optional.
The Word Fasule and the Bean Behind It
In Albanian, fasule names the bean as well as the soup. Wiktionary’s Albanian entry defines fasule as the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, and traces the word back to the Greek fasoli. A second Albanian word, groshë, also means bean, and the same dictionary lists it as a synonym of fasule.
The bean itself is a fairly late arrival in the Balkans. The common bean is native to the Americas, where it was domesticated about 8,000 years ago, and it reached Europe as part of the Columbian exchange. The beans grown in Europe before that belonged to other species. White bean soup as Albanians cook it today could only take shape once American beans had crossed the Atlantic.
How Fasule Compares With Neighboring Bean Soups
Wikipedia’s article on Greek fasolada lists Albanian fasule among its direct counterparts. The main differences across the region are the fat and the meat:
- Greek fasolada: dry white beans simmered with olive oil, tomatoes, carrots, onion, celery and bay leaf.
- Turkish kuru fasulye: white beans and olive oil, almost always with onion and tomato paste or tomato sauce, often served with rice or bulgur.
- Pasulj or grah, in the countries of the former Yugoslavia: usually cooked with smoked meat such as smoked bacon, sausage or ham hock, and eaten mostly in winter.
- Kosovo: Wikipedia’s overview of Kosovan cuisine describes the local bean soup as white beans prepared with beef and paprika.
The recipe card above sits closest to the olive oil style of the south: no meat, plenty of carrot, celery and tomato, and a last spoonful of olive oil at the end. The optional smoked ham bone in the recipe notes moves it toward the smoky pasulj style. Wikipedia’s Albanian cuisine article counts bean soup among the especially popular winter soups in Albania. Our guide to Ushqimet më të njohura në Shqipëri shows where fasule sits on the everyday table.
Which White Beans to Buy in a US Supermarket
The card calls for 500 g of dried white beans. American bags are usually 1 pound (454 g), which is close enough: use one bag and hold back about half a cup of the water, then top up during the simmer if the pot looks dry. The 400 g of crushed tomatoes is about one 14.5 ounce can.
| Bean | Size and texture | What it does in fasule |
|---|---|---|
| Great Northern | Medium, thin skinned, mild | The all-round choice. Holds its shape but still thickens the broth. |
| Cannellini (white kidney) | Largest, creamy inside, firmer skin | Meaty spoonfuls. Plan on the full 1.5 hours of simmering. |
| Navy (pea beans) | Smallest, soft, quick to break down | The thickest, creamiest broth, with fewer whole beans left at the end. |
| Canned white beans | Already cooked | A weeknight shortcut. Drain, rinse, and start with about half the water. |
Buy dried beans from a store with steady turnover. Very old beans soften slowly and unevenly, no matter how long they soak.
Bean Safety, Cooling and Reheating
Do not skip the first step of the recipe, the 10 minute boil in fresh water. According to the FDA’s Bad Bug Book, raw and undercooked kidney beans contain a natural lectin that causes severe nausea and vomiting, and white kidney beans (cannellini) carry about one third as much as red ones. Boiling destroys the toxin, but the FDA links several outbreaks to slow cookers, which may only reach about 75°C (167°F) inside the food. Its consumer advice is to soak for at least 5 hours, pour the water away, and boil in fresh water for at least 30 minutes. With cannellini, extending that first boil costs nothing. If you adapt fasule to a slow cooker, do the boil on the stove first.
A big pot of soup cools slowly, so handle leftovers the way the USDA recommends:
- Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Divide the soup into shallow containers so it chills quickly. Hot food can go straight into the refrigerator.
- Keep it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. FoodSafety.gov lists soups and stews at 3 to 4 days refrigerated and 2 to 3 months frozen, and notes that the freezer limit is about quality, not safety.
- Reheat soup by bringing it to a rolling boil, or to 165°F (74°C) on a food thermometer. It is safe to reheat straight from frozen in a saucepan.
As the recipe notes say, the soup thickens as it sits, so add a splash of water when you reheat it. Serve it with one of the loaves in our guide to bukë shqipe.
Pyetje të shpeshta
A duhet t’i lë fasulet në ujë gjatë natës?
For the best results, yes, overnight soaking reduces cooking time and produces a creamier texture. For a shortcut, use the quick-soak method: boil beans for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Then drain, and still do the 10 minute boil in fresh water from step 1 of the card.
A mund të gatuaj fasule në një tenxhere të ngadaltë?
Yes, with one firm rule: boil the soaked beans on the stove in fresh water for at least 10 minutes first, as in step 1 of the card, and drain them. The FDA links outbreaks of kidney bean poisoning to slow cookers, which may not get hot enough to destroy the natural toxin in raw beans. Then add the boiled beans, sautéed vegetables, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, seasonings, and water, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the beans are completely soft.
Cila bukë shkon më mirë me fasule?
Buka tradicionale e misrit në Shqipëri është kombinimi klasik. Bukë e bardhë krokante, pite, apo edhe kulaç me kos (bukë misri me kos) të gjitha funksionojnë shkëlqyeshëm për të thithur lëngun e mishit.
A është Fasule i shëndetshëm?
It is a simple, meatless bowl of beans, vegetables, and olive oil. Plain cooked white beans have about 9.7 g of protein and 6.3 g of fiber per 100 g, according to USDA FoodData Central, and the recipe card lists 240 calories per serving. The numbers for a finished bowl depend on your portion and on any meat you add, so we do not quote them here. Fasule remains one of the simplest everyday gatime tradicionale shqiptare.
Receta të Ngjashme Shqiptare
Ju pëlqen ushqimi ngushëllues shqiptar? Provoni këto pjata të tjera ngrohëse:
- Bamje, Gjellë me bamje dhe domate
- Tavë Dheu, Tavë me mish të pjekur dhe oriz
- Tavë Kosi, Baked lamb with yogurt, often called Albania’s unofficial national dish
- Pilaf me Pule, Pilaf me pulë, një vakt i përzemërt në një tenxhere të vetme
- Ushqimi shqiptar, Udhëzues i plotë për kuzhinën shqiptare
Burimet
- Wiktionary: fasule (Albanian entry)
- Wikipedia: Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean)
- Wikipedia: Fasolada
- FDA: Bad Bug Book, second edition, Phytohaemagglutinin (kidney bean lectin) chapter (PDF)
- Shërbimi i Sigurisë dhe Inspektimit Ushqimor i USDA-së: Mbetjet dhe Siguria Ushqimore
- FoodSafety.gov: Grafiku i Ruajtjes së Ushqimeve në të Ftohtë
Autor: Dardanë Halimi
Dardanë Halimi është një shkrimtare dhe profesioniste e komunikimit me titull magjistër në Shkrim, Retorikë dhe Komunikim Teknik nga Universiteti James Madison. Puna e saj përqendrohet në tregimin e historive, përmbajtjen digjitale, arsimin e lartë dhe komunikimin strategjik, me përvojë në shkrimin për organizata akademike, jofitimprurëse dhe marketingu si në Shtetet e Bashkuara ashtu edhe në Kosovë.
