Fabada Asturiana

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   The day before cooking, soak the dried fabes beans in plenty of cold water for 10-12 hours. Drain before using. This soak is essential for even cooking and is included in the prep planning, but not in the active cooking time.

   300 g dried fabes beans, soaked overnight and drained
2. 2

   Put the soaked beans in a heavy pot with the smoked pork shoulder, whole onion, crushed garlic, and bay leaf. Pour in the water or light stock. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer over medium heat; do not boil hard, or the beans may split. As foam rises, skim it off for a cleaner broth.

   300 g dried fabes beans, soaked overnight and drained200 g smoked pork shoulder, cut into 2 large pieces1 small (80 g) onion, peeled but left whole2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed1 bay leaf1 litre water or light unsalted stock
3. 3

   Once the pot is gently simmering, add the olive oil, sweet smoked paprika, and saffron threads. Shake the pot by the handles rather than stirring with a spoon to avoid breaking the beans. Simmer very gently for 20 minutes.

   15 ml olive oil1 tsp sweet smoked paprika0.15 g saffron threads
4. 4

   Add the chorizo and morcilla whole. Continue simmering gently for 20-25 minutes, occasionally giving the pot a gentle shake. If the liquid level drops too much, add a little hot water to keep the beans just covered. The beans should become tender and the broth should begin to turn silky from the starch and meats.

   150 g chorizo asturiano or other cured cooking chorizo150 g morcilla asturiana or other cooking blood sausage
5. 5

   Check the beans for doneness: they should be creamy inside with intact skins. Remove the onion and bay leaf. Taste the broth before salting, since the pork and sausages are already seasoned. Add salt only if needed. If the broth is thin, mash a spoonful of beans against the side of the pot and stir them back in gently.

   1 small (80 g) onion, peeled but left whole1 bay leafto taste salt
6. 6

   Turn off the heat and let the fabada rest for 10 minutes; this helps the broth settle and the flavours meld. Slice the chorizo and morcilla into thick pieces, and cut the pork shoulder into serving chunks.

   200 g smoked pork shoulder, cut into 2 large pieces150 g chorizo asturiano or other cured cooking chorizo150 g morcilla asturiana or other cooking blood sausage
7. 7

   Serve the beans in warm bowls with the sliced meats arranged on top. Spoon over plenty of broth and finish with chopped parsley.

   1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Origin & History

Fabada Asturiana is the emblematic bean stew of Asturias in northern Spain, traditionally made with local fabes and a compango of pork meats such as chorizo, morcilla, and cured pork. It became widely known in the 19th and 20th centuries as a hearty rural dish suited to the cool, damp climate of the region. Today it remains one of Spain’s most beloved classic stews.