Romanian White Bean Dip – Fasole batuta

4.67 from 6 votes

Try this very popular fasole batuta recipe, a creamy, garlicky, Romanian white bean dip topped with caramelized onions.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 35

Course: Dips, Sauces and Dressings

Cuisine: Romanian

Servings: -8 servings

Calories: 226kcal

Author: Adina

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

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.

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.