BACK TO ALL RECIPES

Bean Soup Sandwich

Thomas Gravanis and Yiannis Sikianakis

BY The Editors

PUBLISHED November 5, 2025

Athens has seen a huge explosion in street food concepts these past few years. Many are skewer-centric, such as souvlaki and gyro every which way, but there are now countless offerings both Greek and international. One of the more creative stops is a place I stumbled upon in the northern suburb of Agia Paraskevi, called Oursa, the Greek word for "bear." A bear is the defining animal of northern Greece whence chef-owner Dimitris Stratis hails. This little place is basically a glorified shack or canteen, where he combines comfort with convenience by serving up traditional Greek recipes like oregano chicken, pork and celery, and even the classic Greek bean soup between the bread. He has a penchant for pickled veggies and hot peppers, so tradition is spiced up at Oursa. This recipe is inspired by one of his delicious offerings. Beans on toast, move over! – Diane Kochilas

 

The following may contain affiliate links for which we earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting us in this way!
Print

Bean Soup Sandwich

Prevent your screen from going dark

Makes 2 to 4 sandwiches 1x

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin Greek olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped (about 1cup)
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 (15-ounce) can good quality, low-sodium cannellini beans, drained
  • 1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 to 2 cups water
  • 2 long dried chiles
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 cup sliced cooked pork or beef sausage (optional)
  • 1/2 cup crumbled Greek feta (optional)
  • 2 to 4 sourdough buns or rolls

Instructions

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large pot over low heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add the beans and toss to coat in the oil. Pour in the tomatoes with their juices, bay leaves, and 1 cup of the water. Add the chile peppers. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the beans simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and creamy and the beans and vegetables are very soft. Add more water as needed, checking the liquid content on the beans as they simmer.

About 10 minutes before removing from the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the balsamic and stir in the parsley and oregano. Add the sausages and/or feta (if using).

Heat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Open the buns without separating the bottoms and tops completely. Brush the inside surfaces with some or all of the remaining olive oil and sear, cut side down, in the hot skillet. Place the buns on plates and spoon the bean filling inside. Serve.

– Athens: Food, Stories, Love

Log in, or become a member today.

Join in: enjoy 7 days free, plus 40% off your first year with access to 1,000+ highly vetted recipes from the How To Cook Everything series and beyond, essays from Mark, and original pieces from our contributors.

Join annually and save 40%
Log in to your account

GetBetterFasterHealthierSmarterTastier

in the Kitchen

Through our (more than a thousand, and growing) highly vetted recipes from the How to Cook Everything series, original food essays and reporting, thoughtful podcast conversations and introductions to new and responsible food products, we aim to showcase what’s possible, from farm to fork, and power a growing movement that encourages people to think about food not as a commodity, but as central to our health and happiness.

Start your free trial

We hope you join us on this journey. We’d love to have you as a part of the Bittman community. As a member, you'll have access to:

  • New recipes every week
  • 1000s of recipes from How to Cook Everything and beyond
  • First access to in-person events with Mark and Kate
  • Exclusive discounts from our favorite brands
  • Q&As with Mark and the team

 

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Join over 105,000 passionate individuals who receive our weekly emails. It’s 100% free and you can unsubscribe anytime. Plus, we’ll email you a sampling of what premium members receive on a weekly basis.