You may well have heard of cassoulet - well fabada Asturiana is it's Northern Spanish cousin. A hearty, warming white bean stew with lots of porky goodness, it's incredibly easy and perfect for a cold day.
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I have a confession: I've been sitting on this recipe for some time. Somehow I didn't get round to sharing this fabada recipe last winter and as you'll see, it really is a cold weather dish.
In fact it came about when we were stuck inside for a few days. The week between Christmas and New Year just over a year ago coincided with some really cold weather. Accompanied by new toys, none of us were really up for going anywhere, so I also did some full on comfort food cooking.
We enjoyed some delicious meals, including braised lamb shanks and avgolomeno soup that I shared soon after. Spain was apparently on my mind, too, as we enjoyed an old favorite, romesco de peix, Catalan fish stew, and this dish too. Though as I say, this one took a little longer to share.
The first time I lived in Spain I was in Catalunya in the Northeast (Mediterranean side), but I did a bit of a tour by train along the Northern coast (towards the North Sea/Atlantic), stopping along the way at various large and small towns.
I'm glad to say I went in Spring so the weather was a bit warmer, but it could still get cold in mountain areas like Asturias. Much of Northern Spain is hilly, but Asturias has full on mountains.
There's a train route that goes right through the Pico de Europa mountains which I took and loved. I still vividly remember the incredibly well kept stations and the mountain campsite I stayed at. I also remember the distinctive mountain fare, of simple food and sidre, the local hard cider.
Where does fabada come from?
Fabada is originally from Astrurias, a largely mountainous region on the North coast of Spain, hence why it's often called 'fabada Asturiana'. It's just what you might expect of mountain food - relatively simple, hearty, and making use of cheaper cuts of meat.
These days it's a bit more planned, but I can imagine it was originally made using leftover pieces of meat. For something so simple, the result is delicious.
What kind of beans are in fabada?
Traditionally, "fabes de la granja" ('beans of the farm') are used. They are a white runner bean native to Asturias and relatively large.
Since you are not necessarily going to find them, as I couldn't, you can use other white beans. While ideally you'd want relatively large, you also want ones that hold their shape fairly well. Navy or canellini tend to be some of the better choices.
How to make fabada Asuriana
While it takes a bit of time, this is an incredibly easy dish to make. Plus, it works well to make it ahead and then gently reheat. All you do is:
- Soak the beans overnight.
- Cook the beans along with a ham hock, some Spanish chorizo and a bit of bacon.
- Leave all the meats intact while they cook, then take them out at the end.
- Let the meats cool enough to handle then chop them, removing bones, skin and fat, and put back in with the beans.
You will probably want to skim some fat from the stew before you mix the meats back in, but otherwise that's all there is to it. And the flavors are so good.
Top tip: use dry beans
You can speed up the cooking process a bit with canned beans for this - they both don't need soaked and are ready cooked. But if at all possible, dried beans are best as they'll soak up all that pork-y flavor as they cook. Yes, it takes longer, but it's hands off so easy.
You can add in black pudding (morcilla), and some versions add onion, a little saffron or paprika, but I don't think you particularly need them. If you do add black pudding, I suggest only towards the end as it may break up otherwise.
Storing and reheating
This dish works well to make ahead and re-heat a day or two later. Simply cook as per the recipe, then cool and store in a sealed container in the fridge. I recommend you prepare all the meat when you first cook it as it is a lot easier to handle when just cooked as it is softer than after cooling.
The dish will keep a good 2 - 3 days in the fridge, and in fact arguably the flavors may develop more after sitting. I don't recommend freezing as it can break down the beans and cause them to break up and become overly mushy.
To re-heat the dish, simply warm gently on the stovetop, stirring occasionally to help it heat evenly. You could also re-heat in the microwave.
Fabada is a wonderfully comforting, flavorful dish that's perfect for a cold day (and with a glass of Spanish red wine). It may not be all that pretty, but believe me the flavor makes up for it.
Looking for more comforting meals? Try these:
- Bo kho, Vietnamese beef stew
- Harira, Moroccan lentil and chickpea soup/stew
- One pot braised lamb shoulder chops and vegetables
- Beef massaman curry
- Plus get more inspiration in the winter recipes archives.
I use my Le Creuset Cast-Iron Oval French Oven to make this dish which works well (affiliate link).
Fabada Asturiana - Spanish pork and bean stew
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz dried white beans eg navy beans, see notes
- 13 oz ham hock approx
- 4 ¾ oz Spanish chorizo approx ½ a link
- 3 ½ oz slab bacon (ie not cut into slices, or use thick cut)
- 4 cups water
- 1 bay leaf (optional but recommended)
Instructions
Night before cooking
- Leave the beans to soak in water overnight.
Day of cooking
- Drain the beans from the water they were soaked in and put in a large pot/Dutch oven. Add the ham hock, chorizo and bacon and pour over the water. Add bay leaf, if using (which is worth doing).
- Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and remove any foam from the top. Leave to simmer for 1 ½ - 2 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure it isn't sticking to the bottom. Check to make sure the beans are tender before you stop cooking.
- After cooking, remove from heat and take out the pieces of meat. Remove any bones, skin and fat and dice the bacon and ham. Slice the chorizo.
- Skim any excess fat from the pot with the beans and add back the chopped meat. Mix the meat through the beans and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Casey says
We’re making this tomorrow after tasting your recipe at a friend’s house, but wanted to know if this could be done in a crock pot/slow cooker?
Caroline says
Glad to hear you enjoyed and will be making yourself! So while white beans are better than eg kidney beans, there's a slight risk with starting from dry beans of toxins that can give stomach issues. Generally, the combination of soaking and bringing to a boil for a few minutes and then cooking fully is sufficient for there not to be a problem, but the issue with a slow cooker is it may not get hot enough during cooking. To minimize this, if you want to do the longer cook in the slow cooker, I would suggest starting the beans in a pot and bringing to a boil and boiling around 10 minutes before then transferring them for the rest of their cook in the slow cooker.
ignacio says
It's no fabada de la granja (farm). It is beans from La Granja, a small town near Segovia where they grow these big beans.
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes, I appreciate it should traditionally be made with la granja beans, as mentioned in the post above. Unfortunately these are not widely available elsewhere, so this suggests alternatives so readers can still enjoy the dish, or at least close to it, with what is easier to find.
Pete nMarch says
I always cook Fabada in scrumpy cider ;like I had in Gijon, the town with two hundred cider bars. Proper job and then on to Nava to the fest du Sidra every July. Sidra heaven.
Caroline's Cooking says
I could see sidra/scrumpy being good in there - and yes, that area is great for all the fresh cloudy cider. Sadly not as easily available elsewhere!
Sarah J says
Making this on Saturday! I used to live in Oviedo, Spain and this was a very traditional dish of the northern region of Asturias. I am using fava beans to make it more traditional but they’re super hard to find. I had to go to an international store and they only had canned. Gonna add them in later to avoid mushy beans. Overall, this is my favorite Spanish food and I can tell from your recipe it’s traditionally cooked. thanks for sharing this recipe!!!
Caroline's Cooking says
Hope you enjoy! Yes, definitely with canned beans just put them in towards the end, and in fact you may feel you don't need to cook the meats quite as long, just long enough to be tender.
Robert says
I'm single, and like to batch cook. In (southern) Spain I use 'alubias blancas'. I chop the bacon and fry it before boiling it with the beans. The chorizo goes in whole about 30 mins from the end, and the morcilla about 15 mins later. (Fished out and chopped before throwing back in when serving). I always freeze it and don't have a problem. Probably depends on the beans. The onion, paprika and bay really kick it up a notch.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks for sharing, and sounds good - agree, I think it may depend on the beans re freezing.
Stephanie says
I love the white beans in this stew. Stews are just the perfect comfort food especially this time of year.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, and yes definitely just the thing this time of year.
PK says
Sounds wonderful, and I'm planning on making it soon. I would like to add onions, carrots and celery. Would this work well for this dish?
Caroline's Cooking says
You certainly could, though the carrot and celery at least are less traditional - they are all relatively neutral flavor and they will help give you some vegetables in there/larger quantity if that's what you are looking for. And overall I'd expect they add a slight roundness to the flavor but not much more - they will more blend in given the stronger flavors from the meats. Certainly won't be bad, just a little different!
Steve says
Hi tried your recipe tonight and used Lima beans which turned to mush meaning the texture and taste were all wrong, I guess Lima beans are not the right choice
Caroline's Cooking says
Sorry to hear them turned to mush. Thinking about it, lima beans do tend to be a bit thinner skinned which may be partly why. I am pretty sure it's Great Northern beans that I have used for this, if that helps. I would say whichever beans you use, it's worth checking part way through to see they are not getting too soft - it's a balance between making sure you get plenty flavor into them from the meats and overcooking. I'll update comments in the recipe to reflect this, to try to help others.
Catherine Brown says
This looks absolutely delicious! I love all types of beans, especially made from dried beans. I look forward to making this Spanish version. Thanks so much for sharing!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, using the dry beans really lets them take on all those great flavors.