Beans and Sausage Polish Stew
"Beans and Sausage Polish Stew", or "Fasolka po bretońsku", is a beloved Polish dish, that combines tender white beans, smoky sausage, and aromatic spices into a comforting blend. This traditional stew captures the essence of Polish culinary heritage, promising to warm both body and soul with its rich flavours.
preparation: 10 minutes
making: 1 hour(s) 30 minutes
total: 1 hour(s) 40 minutes
servings: 8 portions
nutrition: 598 calories per serving
cuisine: Polish
Ingredients
- 400g dried butter beans
- 1,5l of water, for cooking
- 2 small white onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 125g smoked streaky bacon
- 600g Polish sausage
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 5 tbsp tomato purée
In Poland, the recommended bean variety is “Fasola Jaś,” paired with the sausage type known as “Tyrolska.”
Seasonings
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 allspice berries
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp hot paprika
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- a pinch of caraway seeds
Method
To prepare the beans and sausage stew, soak the beans in water for at least 12 hours beforehand (the day before cooking).
Prepare a large dish (or the same pot you will use for cooking), place the beans inside, and add enough water to just cover them. The beans will swell and absorb the water.
Ensure there is sufficient water; you can add more if you pour too little at any time.
After soaking, drain the water and rinse the beans thoroughly under running water.
Place the beans in a large pot, add the required amount of water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover with a lid and simmer until the beans are tender, approximately 1 hour. Throughout cooking, season with salt, bay leaves, and allspice berries as needed.
Meanwhile, finely chop the onion after peeling it. Mince the garlic cloves. Dice the bacon into small pieces. Slice the sausage lengthwise and then into bite-sized pieces.
After 50 minutes of cooking the beans, grease a large frying pan with oil and add the sausage, bacon, onion, and garlic. Fry until golden brown all over, approximately 10 minutes.
Add the remaining seasonings (black pepper, ground paprika, smoked paprika, hot paprika, marjoram, thyme, and caraway seeds) to the pan, then stir in the tomato purée until well combined.
Add the cooked sausage and bacon mix to the pot with the beans and continue cooking for about 30 minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Spoon into bowls and optionally garnish with freshly chopped parsley before serving.
Tips
If the stew is too thin, thicken it by mixing 1 level tablespoon of flour with 100 ml of water. Add this mixture to the beans before the end of cooking and simmer for a few minutes to remove any raw flour taste.
