Try this very popular fasole batuta recipe, a creamy, garlicky, Romanian white bean dip topped with caramelized onions.
This amazing Romanian white bean dip or fasole batuta, fasole frecata, or fasole facaluita is a staple in Romanian cooking. Try it; you will probably like it so much that it will become a staple for you, too. You can serve it not only as a dip or bread spread but also as a side dish for many other dishes.
Romanian cooking may not be as famous as Italian, French, or Indian cuisines, but it's warm, comforting, and uncomplicated. It focuses on simple ingredients and minimal spices while still delivering great flavor. I hope you’ll be inspired to try some of my dishes.
Try more of my beloved Romanian dishes like Chicken Soup with Dumplings, Chicken and Polenta, or Pea and Chicken Stew.
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Recipe ingredients
White beans: I always make the Romanian white bean dip with freshly cooked white beans and use some of the beans' cooking liquid when making the dip. That's why it's important to cook your own beans.
For convenience, you can use about 20 oz (600 g) of canned beans, which is roughly 3 cans. When draining the beans, reserve some of the canning water for the dip.
The caramelized onions are made with onions, vegetable oil, and a bit of tomato paste. This topping is totally optional but delicious.
I use sunflower oil because that is what my grandma used all the time, but other vegetable oil would do as well. Olive oil doesn't really fit here; it's never used in traditional Romanian cooking.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Romanian white bean dip?
Make fasole batuta
- Step #1: Soak the beans overnight.
- Step #2: Cook them for about 1 hour or until they are soft but not mushy. Drain the beans, but keep the cooking water. Discard onion and bay leaves. Let cool slightly.
- Step #3: Place them in the food processor and add about ¼ cup of the cooking liquid, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and grated garlic.
- Step #4: Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor a few times. Add more cooking liquid a little at a time to achieve the right consistency - it should be like thick sour cream or softer mashed potatoes.
Step #5: Add salt to taste; I am generous with the salt here, but keep tasting until it is right for you
Make caramelized onions
- Step #1: Halve the onions and slice the halves into thin half-rings.
- Step #2: Cook them with a bit of salt for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step #3: When the onions are golden, add the tomato paste, sugar, and paprika. Stir for 2 minutes until everything is well combined and slightly caramelized.
Try another recipe using caramelized onions, these tender Chicken Livers that my grandma used to make on a regular basis.
Good to know!
You can cook more than the beans needed for this recipe – you can easily freeze the rest for future use (soups, stews, salads), and cooking a lot at a time saves time and energy as well. You can even freeze the cooking liquid to make more dip or soup in the future.
The cooking time depends on the size and age of the beans, so make sure to check regularly.
I prefer to grate the garlic before adding it to the food processor to make sure I will not bite on some larger pieces of garlic later
How to serve fasole batuta?
Transfer the beans to a bowl or a serving platter and top with the onions.
If serving as a dip or bread spread, let it cool. The most common way of serving fasole batuta is as a dip or bread spread. Spread the white bean dip generously on large slices of bread and top with the caramelized onions. Serve the gherkins on the side if you like.
If serving as a side dish for sausages, meatballs, or other meats, serve it warm. Fasole frecata makes a delicious lower-carb alternative to mashed potatoes, for instance. Try it with beef koftas, baked brats, or Greek lamb chops, and don't forget some pickled green tomatoes on the side.
Romanian White Bean Dip – Fasole batuta
Ingredients
White bean dip:
- 9 oz dried white beans 250 g, Note 1
- 1 large onion
- 2 bay leaves
- water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves to taste
- fine sea salt
Caramelized onions (Note 2):
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil 75 ml
- 2 onions
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½-1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- fine sea salt
Instructions
White bean dip:
- Soak beans: Rinse the beans and place them in a large bowl. Cover with water and leave to soak overnight.9 oz dried white beans/ 250 g
- Cook beans: Rinse again, place in a large bowl, cover with plenty of water, add the halved onion and the bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 1 hour or until the beans are soft. The cooking time will greatly depend on the size and age of the beans, so keep checking.1 large onion + 2 bay leaves + water
- Drain the beans but keep the cooking water.
- Combine: Discard the onion and the bay leaves. Leave the beans to cool slightly, then place them in the food processor together with about ¼ cup of the cooking liquid and the oil. Next, add the grated garlic cloves (I prefer to grate the garlic before adding it to the food processor to make sure I will not bite on some larger pieces of garlic later).2 tablespoons vegetable oil + 2-3 garlic cloves
- Process until smooth, scraping down from the food processor walls a few times in between. Add more cooking liquid, a little at a time, to get the right consistency; it should be like a thick crème Fraiche or softer mashed potatoes.
- Add salt to taste; I am generous with the salt here, but keep tasting until it is right for you.fine sea salt
Caramelized onions:
- Slice onions: Halve the onions and slice the halves into thin half-rings.2 onions
- Cook: Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon salt and cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.⅓ cup vegetable oil/ 75 ml + fine sea salt
- Caramelize: When the onions are golden, add the tomato paste, sugar, and paprika powder and stir for 2 minutes until well combined and slightly caramelized.2 tablespoons tomato paste + ½-1 teaspoon sugar + 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- Serve fasole batuta: Transfer the beans to a bowl or a serving platter and top with the onions. If serving as a dip or bread spread, let it cool. If serving with sausages, meatballs, or other meats, serve it warm. Don't forget the pickles: cucumber, green tomatoes, red peppers, hot peppers, and so on.
Notes
- Beans: Dried, soaked, and cooked beans are best for this recipe. However, you can use about 600 g/ 1.3 lbs/ 3 ¼ cups cooked beans from a can. Drain them and reserve some of the liquid to use for making the dip.
- The caramelized onions are totally optional, but they are delicious on top of fasole batuta.
Maria says
La multi ani!
Can you please tell me what beans are you using? Navy beans or northern beans. I have tried to make this dish one time and it didn’t quite tasted like I remembered. I thought maybe it was the beans .
Thanks
Adina says
La multi ani, Maria. I use both kinds, depending on what I have in the cupboard. I've never noticed much of a difference. Maybe you should just play with the spices until you find the version you like best.
Moose says
It came out perfectly. Thank you. Can't wait to try out your other Romanian recipes.
Adina says
Thank you, Moose. I hope you do!
Adina says
What are the best type of white beans to use for this recipe ?
Adina says
Hi Adina. Best are white beans.
Andrea says
Can’t print 🙁 this page has a bug. Printing page keeps crashing
Adina says
Sorry about that. I will have a,look.
Adina says
Hi. I checked and it works for me. Maybe you should try in another browser.
Sue says
Have just returned from a ten day holiday in transylvania. Just loved it, and loved the zacusca even more so was delighted to find your site. Am off shopping tomorrow.
Adina says
So great, Sue. I hope you like it!
Ileana says
I'm Romanian too and cooking this dish quite often. When cooking the beans I also add one carrot, half of a red pepper and 2-3 sticks of celery. And instead of bean's water I add olive oil drop by drop when in the food processor. Just to share ...
Thank you, Adina!
Adina says
Thank you, Ileana. It sounds great, I bet olive oil ads a lot of extra flavor and makes the dip a bit like mayonnaise (which I looove), I shall try it next time. 🙂
mjskitchen says
What a fabulous theme for 2017!! Have not eaten much Romanian food so I greatly look forward to your year long series. And how better to learn about Romanian food than from a Romanian. 🙂 A great start with this dip! Love that topping!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
I am looking forward to your year of cooking! I love learning about different cultures through cooking! This bean dip looks great. My kids love hummus and I think they would fall in love with this dip too!
Anca says
I love fasole batuta and I used to love it a child too. It's nice you are planning to cook more dishes you used to enjoy as a child.
Adina says
I have always loved this and anything with beans actually. I really don't understand why my own kids don't like beans....