Fasolia Yabsa (Iraqi White Bean Stew)

by Amina Al-Saigh on Dec 3, 2022

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Fasolia Yabsa is the kind of comfort food every Iraqi grew up eating. Made with tender chunks of lamb or veal, creamy white kidney beans (also known as cannellini beans) and a rich tomato sauce, this hearty stew is simple, satisfying, and deeply flavourful. This recipe is a weekly staple, served over fluffy rice. My version keeps all the traditional flavours but with a few tricks to make it come together quickly as well as tips for using both dry and canned beans.

Fasolia white bean stew served in a white pot and garnished with parsely

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5-Star Reader Review

“This was so good! I’m lebanese and it came out just the way my teta cooks it in 1/4th of the time! I began it when I came home from work and it was done in just under an hour. My husband and brother-in-law loved it and ate almost the entire pot!”
—Amy

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Fasolia (White Beans) the Iraqi Way

Many may be surprised by the simplicity of this dish. No fancy spices, and a short ingredient list. But it’s one of the most flavourful stews simply because of the meat broth and the umami of the white beans. Instead of masking the flavour with a long spice list, try it this simple way!

It’s made using a similar process as other classic Arabic stews like okra stew, spinach stew, and green bean stew, simply served over vermicelli rice (and with green onions on the side, trust me!). It’s a really simple dish but when the ingredients all simmer together, it’s magical.

Here’s the Step by Step Process:

First, let’s address two ways you can go here: canned beans or dry beans. Dry beans (soaked overnight) have a lot more flavour, but this recipe also works with canned beans. More on that below.

For the meat, you can use lamb, veal, or beef. My favourite is veal or lamb since they are more tender than beef. Beef will generally yield a chewier texture. The meat can be in small cubes or larger pieces, and the amount can be adjusted based on how many people you are serving.

TIP: If I’m using dry beans, I soak them overnight and use my Instant Pot to cut down cooking time, or you can use any pressure cooker. Be warned that cooking soaked dry beans will require 2-3 hours on the stove!

Start by soaking the dry beans overnight in water (this takes 2 minutes! more on why I use dry beans below)

Season the meat with salt and pepper and sear on all sides, either in a large soup pot or the pressure cooker.

Add the diced onions and continue to cook it with the meat for a few minutes. Add tomato paste, salt and pepper and caramelize the tomato paste to give it extra flavour.

Add the fasolia or white beans along with the water and pressure cook for about 8 minutes if you’re using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Otherwise you can boil the beans and meat for 2-3 hours until tender.

Check the seasoning and adjust the water level by simmering it for 10-15 minutes. The simmering process is important as it’ll help you either thicken your stew (by adding more tomato paste and/or boiling off some water) or thin it out by adding a bit more water. Taste it until it’s perfect and you’re done!

Fasolia white bean stew served in a white pot garnished with parsley

How to Adjust for Canned Beans

You can use canned beans in this recipe. Simply rinse them out and add them to the pot after you cook the meat until tender. You won’t need to cook them for long – they will need about 30 minutes to simmer. I do this a lot if I’ve forgotten to soak the beans!

How to make this dish vegetarian

Often times, to cut down our meat consumption, I will make Fasolia vegetarian. Simply skip the meat and add another onion to get more flavour into the stew. Also use vegetable broth instead of water to add more layers of flavour. You will have to reduce the amount of salt, because you don’t have meat in there and also depending on the type of broth you’re using.

Fasolia White Bean stew close up in a white pot

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