Kuru Fasulye

Kuru Fasulye (Turkish Dried Bean Stew)

Kuru Fasulye is a humble, slow-simmered white bean stew considered one of Turkey's national comfort foods. White beans are gently cooked with onions, tomatoes, and green peppers until meltingly tender in a rich, slightly sweet sauce.

Prep

20 min

Cook

120 min

Total

140 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) dried white beans (derin or kuru fasulye), derin or navy beans, soaked overnight
• •60 g (¼ cup) olive oil, or sunflower oil, plus extra to finish
• •1 large onion, finely diced
• •1 medium green bell pepper (sivri biber), Turkish green chili or long green pepper, sliced
• •1 tbsp tomato paste
• •2 medium ripe tomatoes, grated, or 200 g canned crushed tomatoes
• •1 tsp sugar, balances acidity of tomato
• •1 tsp salt, adjust to taste
• •black pepper, ½
• •1 litre (4 cups) hot water, as needed to cover beans
• •1 small clove garlic, optional, crushed

Steps

1. 1 Rinse 300 g dried white beans, cover with plenty of cold water, and soak for 8–12 hours (overnight). Drain and rinse before cooking.
2. 2 Place the soaked beans in a heavy pot, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 45–60 minutes until just tender but not falling apart. Drain and set aside.
3. 3 In the same pot, heat 60 ml olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 finely diced large onion and cook 6–8 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
4. 4 Add 1 sliced green bell pepper (and 1 crushed garlic clove if using) and cook another 3–4 minutes until the peppers begin to soften.
5. 5 Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes to deepen its flavor.
6. 6 Add 2 grated tomatoes (or 200 g crushed canned tomatoes), 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Cook 4–5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
7. 7 Return the partially cooked beans to the pot and add about 1 litre of hot water, just enough to cover them by roughly 2 cm (¾ inch).
8. 8 Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover loosely and simmer for 60–90 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of hot water if the stew thickens too quickly, until the beans are completely soft and the sauce is creamy.
9. 9 Taste and adjust salt (typically 1 tsp total) and sugar. The beans should be tender enough to mash easily against the roof of the mouth with the tongue; if not, simmer longer.
10. 10 Rest the stew off the heat for 10 minutes so the sauce thickens to a silky consistency. Drizzle with a little olive oil before serving.
11. 11 Serve hot with plenty of crusty bread or warm pide, and a bowl of rice on the side if desired. Traditionally accompanied by pickled green peppers, sliced raw onion sumac salad, and a wedge of lemon.