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–+ servings

Alubias de Tolosa Stew - Traditional Basque Bean Stew

A delicious, smoky and sumptuous slow-cooked pot of beans and sausage that rewards patience and generosity
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Overnight soaking of the beans: 12 hours
Total Time: 15 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Basque, Spanish
Keyword: bean dishes, braised dishes, chorizo, fall winter stews, simple fall recipes, slow-cooked
Servings: 6
Calories: 558kcal

Ingredients

  • 400 g Tolosa beans soaked overnight (substitute black, red kidney, or cannellini beans)
  • 1 onion quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1 green bell pepper cut into large pieces
  • 1 carrot peeled and cut into chunks
  • 6 oz pork belly or substitute pancetta, cut into thick slabs
  • 3 fresh chorizo sausages
  • 3 morcilla black pudding sausages
  • 1 tsp unsmoked sweet paprika
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 small cayenne pepper for extra heat optional
  • water to cover approx. 3x the volume of beans

Instructions

  • Drain the beans and transfer to a large pot.
  • Add the onion, garlic, green pepper, and carrot in large chunks. (These will be blended later.)
  • Add the chorizo and morcilla sausages whole, along with the thick slices of pork belly or pancetta .
  • Sprinkle in the sweet paprika, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
  • Pour enough water to just cover the ingredients by about 1½ inches / 4 cm (about 1.2L for 400g of beans).
  • Bring to a low boil over high heat, and skim off any foam on the surface.
    Lower the temperature to medium medium-low to cook at a very gentle simmer. This will prevent the beans from breaking.
    Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the beans are tender.
    Note: the stew can also be cooked in the oven at 150-160℃ / 300-325℉. Once you have brought the pot to a boil, and skimmed any foam place in the oven to finish cooking.
  • Once the beans are cooked, remove the sausages and pork belly (or pancetta if using) and slice into portions. Set aside on a warm platter.
    Next, remove the onion, garlic, green pepper, and carrot and blend them with a bit of broth until smooth. Gently stir back into the stew, careful to avoid breaking up the beans.
  • Serve beans in one bowl, the meats on a platter, garnished with pickled guindilla peppers if you can find them.
  • And of course don’t forget lots of crusty bread for mopping up the juices!

Nutrition

Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 386mg | Potassium: 1208mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2221IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 6mg
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