About this recipe

Fabada Asturiana is the crown jewel of Asturian cuisine — a deeply satisfying, slow-cooked white bean stew loaded with smoky Spanish sausages and cured meats. Thick, velvety beans absorb the rich, paprika-laced broth from chorizo, morcilla, and lacón, creating one of Spain's most comforting and iconic dishes. This home version uses dried fabes (or large dried white beans) and a patient, gentle simmer to coax out maximum depth of flavor. Best made a day ahead — it only gets better overnight.

Instructions

1. 1

   The night before (or at least 8 hours ahead), drain and rinse the dried fabes de la granja soaked overnight in cold water, then place them in a large mixing bowl and cover generously with cold water. Let them soak overnight at room temperature. They will roughly double in size.

2. 2

   Drain the soaked fabes de la granja soaked overnight in cold water and transfer them to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the whole spanish semi-cured chorizo links, not, morcilla spanish blood sausage links, handled gently, lacón, and jamón serrano in one layer over the beans. Nestle in the whole onion peeled, left and garlic peeled, left cloves. Drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil.

3. 3

   Pour in enough cold water to cover everything by about 2 inches (roughly 6–8 cups). Do NOT add fine sea salt yet — this keeps the bean skins tender.

4. 4

   Bring the pot to a gentle boil ^[over medium heat]. As it heats up, skim off any grey foam that rises to the surface using a ladle or wooden spoon. This takes about 10 minutes and is key to a clean, clear broth.

5. 5

   Once the foam has been skimmed, reduce the heat to the lowest possible simmer — the surface should barely tremble, not bubble actively. Add the sweet smoked paprika and saffron threads lightly crushed between fingers (if using). Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar.

6. 6

   Simmer gently for 1 hour, then carefully remove the morcilla spanish blood sausage links, handled gently (blood sausage) and set it aside. It cooks faster than the other meats and will fall apart if left in too long. Continue simmering the rest of the pot.

7. 7

   Continue simmering for another 60–90 minutes, until the fabes de la granja soaked overnight in cold water are completely tender and creamy all the way through with no chalky center. Throughout cooking, if the liquid drops below the level of the beans, add small splashes of cold water (the 'susto' or 'shock' technique — adding cold water in small amounts helps the beans absorb liquid evenly and keeps the broth creamy). Never stir vigorously; gently swirl the pot by the handles instead.

8. 8

   Once the fabes de la granja soaked overnight in cold water are tender, remove the spanish semi-cured chorizo links, not, lacón, and jamón serrano. Discard the whole onion peeled, left (or mash it into the broth for extra body). Slice the meats into thick, generous pieces.

9. 9

   To thicken the broth naturally, remove a ladleful of cooked fabes de la granja soaked overnight in cold water and mash them to a paste, then stir them back into the pot. This creates the signature thick, velvety consistency of a true fabada. Taste and season with fine sea salt now.

10. 10

    Return the sliced morcilla spanish blood sausage links, handled gently and all the other sliced meats to the pot. Let everything rest together off the heat for at least 15 minutes before serving — this allows the flavors to meld beautifully. For best results, cool completely, refrigerate overnight, and reheat gently the next day.

11. 11

    Serve in deep bowls with the fabes de la granja soaked overnight in cold water and broth ladled first, then the sliced meats arranged on top. Accompany with crusty bread and a glass of Asturian cider or a robust red wine.