Fasolia Yabsa (Iraqi White Bean Stew)
This dish is the ultimate Middle Eastern comfort food. Fasolia yabsa, which means dry beans, is a delicious stew made with meat broth, white beans, and tomato paste. It's served with rice and packs so much flavour. A must try Arabic classic!
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry white beans
- 500 g diced boneless stewing veal, amount per preference, use up to 1 kg, see notes
- 2 onions, roughly 2 cups when diced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
Instructions
- Start by soaking the white beans in a bowl overnight in 5 cups of water. They should roughly double in size the next day and yield close to 4 cups of beans
- Season the meat with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Add the vegetable oil to the instant pot (or a regular pot if you're using stovetop directions) along with the meat and sear for 5-6 minutes on sauté mode, flipping on all sides until browned
- Meanwhile finely dice the onions, then add them to the pot and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to help the onions cook down
- Add 5 tablespoons of tomato paste and stir with the onions and the meat, allowing it to caramelize for 2-3 minutes
- Add the drained beans along with 5.5 cups of water, 1 and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix everything together
- Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. If you're using the stovetop, boil everything for 1 to 1.5 hours until meat and beans are tender. You may need to replenish the water as the level goes down, so check on it every 20 minutes or so adjust
- Manually release the pressure and open the lid. Check the stew for seasoning and simmer it for 10-15 minutes on sauté mode. This step will help thicken the stew broth and balance all the flavours
- Serve with white rice, salad, and some yogurt and enjoy
Notes
- Veal is what I commonly use in this stew, however, you can use stewing beef, lamb chops, or even chicken pieces. It's versatile!
- To make this vegetarian, use an extra onion and replace the meat broth with vegetable broth. You will have to reduce the amount of salt used, so adjust it to your taste.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 291kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 128mg, Potassium: 1279mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 154IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 135mg, Iron: 6mg
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