Romanian bean stew or iahnie de fasole. Vegan Romanian beans with vegetables, just like my grandma used to make them.
Iahnie de fasole, Romanian bean stew, is what my grandmother used to make very often when I was a child.
A super healthy and vegan white bean recipe, not that would have made a difference for my grandma, I am sure she never even heard the word vegan in her life. In Romania this was a fasting meal which you would normally eat in the fasting time before Easter or Christmas or in the two fasting days in the week: Wednesday and Friday.
Anyway if you’re looking for a delicious, healthy, and totally satisfying meal, here it is, for me one of the best ways of eating beans and I do love them in every possible way. Have a look at these Flourless Black Bean Brownies or this White Bean Red Pepper Hummus.
Ingredients for Romanian beans?
White beans:
- They should be white, they are the typical Romanian beans, I actually don’t even remember if we ever had any other sort.
- The size is not important.
- I used some huge ones this time, but you can make it with other-sized white beans as well.
- However, adjust the cooking time accordingly, smaller sorts will not need as long as the large ones.
Vegetables: onions, carrots, red pepper, garlic and tomatoes.
How to make bean stew?
- Soak the beans overnight.
- Place in a large pot, together with one halved (unpeeled) onion, carrot and bay leave, cover with plenty of water and bring to a boil.
- Cook until soft. Smaller beans will need at least 40 minutes, large beans longer. Just check. Depending on the size and age of the beans, the cooking time can vary considerably.
- You can also cook them in a pressure cooker or instant pot according to the machine’s instructions.
- Drain but reserve the cooking liquid.
- Cook the second chopped onion in the oil. Add the pepper, tomatoes, garlic, and the cooked beans and stir well.
- Add some cooking liquid, enough to almost cover the beans and vegetables.
- Add the second bay leaf and the vegetable stock cube.
- Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes or so.
- Thicken the sauce with flour or corn starch slurry.
How to serve?
Serve the Romanian bean stew immediately or reheated. It keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days and it can easily be reheated.
Serve with pickled vegetables like sour cucumbers or hot peppers and bread. If you don’t care about eating vegan, some fried or grilled sausages would make a perfect addition.
Other bean recipes:
Romanian White Bean Dip – Fasole batuta
Romanian Bean Stew (Iahnie)
Ingredients
- 300 g dried white beans large or small
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 onions
- 1 carrot
- 1 large red pepper
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2-3 medium tomatoes
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon powdered vegetable stock or ½ a cube
- 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour Note
- 1 large tablespoon tomato paste
- fine sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Soak the beans in water overnight.
- Drain, place the beans, one halved and unpeeled onion, the carrot, and 1 bay leaf in a large pot, cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the beans are soft. The cooking time depends on the size and age of the beans. Small beans will need at least 40 minutes, larger longer.
- Drain the beans reserving the cooking liquid and discard the onion and the carrot.
- Chop the second onion, red pepper, garlic, and tomatoes.
- Heat the oil in a pan and braise the onion lightly adding a little bit of salt. Add the pepper, tomatoes, garlic, and the cooked beans and stir well. Add some cooking liquid, enough to almost cover the beans and vegetables. Add the second bay leaf and the vegetable stock cube. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes or so.
- In a small bowl mix together the flour, tomato paste, and enough cooking liquid to form a runny paste. Slowly drizzle in the stew while whisking all the time. Whisk on the outer surface of the sauce and use a wooden spoon to mix everything well afterward. You might not need all the paste, incorporate it little by little in the sauce until you get the desired consistency.
- Stir thoroughly and bring everything to a boil again. Cook for a couple of minutes, adjust the taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.
- Serve as suggested above.