Recipe for Polish Breton Bean Stew (Fasolka po bretońsku)

A thick and smoky Polish stew made with white beans, bacon, and sausage in a rich tomato base.

Ingredients

Base

• 500g dried white kidney beans, soaked
• 1.5L water
• 2 bay leaves
• 3g allspice berries

Meat and Sauce

• 200g smoked bacon, diced
• 300g kielbasa sausage, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 200g tomato paste
• 5g dried marjoram
• 5g salt

Preparation

Boiling

1. Place the soaked beans in a large pot with 1.5L fresh water, bay leaves, and allspice
2. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes until the beans are tender
3. Do not drain the cooking water as it contains the starch needed to thicken the stew

Finish

1. Fry the bacon and sausage in a pan until crispy then add the onion and cook for 5 minutes
2. Stir the meat mixture and the tomato paste into the pot of beans along with the marjoram
3. Simmer everything together for another 20 minutes until the sauce is thick and flavors are combined

Tips

• Adding the salt only at the end of the cooking process prevents the bean skins from becoming tough
• Rub the dried marjoram between your palms before adding it to the pot to release the essential oils
• This stew tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to fully develop in the fridge