Fabada Recipe – Spanish Special

A classic bean and ham dish from the Asturias region of Spain.

  • Prep Time15 min
  • Cook Time3 hr
  • Perform Time8 hr 20 min
  • Total Time11 hr 35 min

Fabada Ingredients :

  • 1 pound dried Asturian fabada beans or dried lima beans
  • ¼ pound salt pork
  • 10 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon crushed saffron threads
  • 8 ounces serrano ham, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 8 ounces Spanish chorizo sausage, casing removed, sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 8 ounces morcilla sausage or blood sausage, sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 1 bay leaf

How To Make Fabada Recipe :

1

Cover the beans generously with hot water and let them soak overnight.

2

Fill a Dutch oven halfway with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the salt pork and boil for 5 minutes, then remove the pork and discard the water.

3

Drain the soaked beans and place them back into the Dutch oven. Pour in 10 cups of fresh water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface. Stir in the saffron, salt pork, and diced ham; simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chorizo and morcilla sausages, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, skimming any foam that rises to the top.

4

Reduce the heat to low, add the bay leaf, cover the Dutch oven, and simmer gently until the beans are tender, which typically takes 2 to 3 hours. Add more water if needed to ensure the beans remain moist.

5

Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let the beans stand for 20 minutes before serving.