A hearty stew of large white beans slow-simmered with chorizo, morcilla, and smoked pork, a rich specialty from Asturias.
Fabada asturiana is one of Spain's great regional stews, hailing from Asturias in the country's north, built on large, creamy white beans called fabes simmered for hours with chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage), and smoked pork cuts until the beans turn silky and the broth is deeply infused with smoky, porky richness. It's substantial, cold-weather food, traditionally eaten as a filling midday meal rather than a light starter. The technique that defines fabada is patience and gentle heat: the beans are never boiled hard, which would burst their delicate skins, but simmered at the barest bubble for hours so they cook through evenly while staying intact, occasionally 'shocked' with a splash of cold water (called asustar or 'scaring' the beans) to slow the boil and keep the skins from splitting. The meats -- chorizo, morcilla, and smoked pork shoulder or belly -- are added whole and simmered alongside the beans, infusing the broth before being sliced and served on top or alongside. Served in wide bowls with crusty bread, fabada asturiana is Asturias' signature dish, considered one of Spain's great regional stews and a point of fierce local pride.
Serves 6
Place soaked beans, chorizo, morcilla, smoked pork, ham hock if using, whole onion, and garlic in a large pot. Cover with water by about 5cm.
Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to the barest simmer.
Simmer very gently, uncovered or partially covered, for 2-2.5 hours, occasionally adding a splash of cold water ('asustar') if it boils too vigorously to keep the beans from bursting.
About 30 minutes before the beans are done, stir in the saffron and olive oil.
Once beans are fully tender and the broth has thickened slightly, remove the meats, slice the chorizo, morcilla, and pork, and discard the onion and garlic if desired.
Return sliced meats to the pot or arrange on top. Season with salt to taste and serve hot in wide bowls with bread.
Never let the pot boil hard -- fabada should cook at the barest simmer, or the bean skins will burst and the texture will turn mealy instead of creamy.
The 'asustar' technique of adding a splash of cold water when it starts boiling too vigorously is a genuine Asturian trick to keep the beans intact.
Use genuine large white beans (fabes asturianas if you can find them, or substitute large gigante or corona beans) -- smaller beans won't give the right silky texture.
Add a bay leaf and a few peppercorns to the simmering pot for extra aromatic depth.
Reduce the meats to just chorizo if morcilla or smoked pork aren't available, though the dish will be less traditional.
Serve the beans and broth on their own the first day, then the meats separately the next, a common way Asturian households stretch the dish across meals.
Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container; the flavor deepens significantly overnight. Freezes well up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding water if too thick.
Fabada asturiana comes from Asturias in northern Spain, a mountainous, historically pastoral region where hearty, slow-cooked bean and pork dishes developed to sustain people through cold, wet winters; it remains one of Spain's most protected and celebrated regional specialties.
It's not traditional and the texture will suffer significantly -- dried beans, soaked and slow-simmered, are essential to fabada's signature creamy consistency.
The pot was likely boiling too hard rather than gently simmering. Keep the heat very low throughout and add a splash of cold water if it starts boiling vigorously.
You can omit it and use extra chorizo and smoked pork, though the broth will lack some of the distinctive richness morcilla provides; some specialty butchers or online Spanish grocers carry it.
Per serving (480g / 16.9 oz) · 6 servings total
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