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Spanish Chorizo, Ham and White Bean Stew
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This is a quick-and-easy version of the Spanish tapa known as fabada asturiana, a hearty stew of dried beans, sausage and other smoky, porky ingredients. We pared back on the meats, using only chorizo and ham, both of which lend deep flavor to the broth. The dish gets its name from the large beans that are traditionally used in its preparation, but we found that canned white beans worked well. We especially liked the relatively large size and creamy texture of cannellinis, but great northern and navy beans are fine, too. A pinch of saffron adds a very Spanish flavor and fragrance, while giving the stew an alluring golden hue.
4
Servings
Tip
Don't overcook the chorizo and ham after adding it to the sautéed onion mixture. If the pieces begin to sear or brown, they'll be chewy and rubbery in the finished dish. Cook only until the chorizo begins to release some of its fat.
30 minutes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
6 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon saffron threads
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
8 ounces Spanish chorizo, casings removed, halved and thinly sliced
8 ounces ham steak, cut into ½-inch cubes
1½ quarts low-sodium chicken broth
3 15½-ounce cans white beans, rinsed and drained
3 bay leaves
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Warmed crusty bread, to serve
Ingredients
-
1
tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
-
1
medium yellow onion, chopped
-
6
medium garlic cloves, chopped
-
1
teaspoon saffron threads
-
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
-
8
ounces Spanish chorizo, casings removed, halved and thinly sliced
-
8
ounces ham steak, cut into ½-inch cubes
-
1½
quarts low-sodium chicken broth
-
3
15½-ounce cans white beans, rinsed and drained
-
3
bay leaves
-
4
scallions, thinly sliced
-
Warmed crusty bread, to serve
Directions
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01In a large pot over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, saffron and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is slightly softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
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02Add the chorizo and ham, then cook, stirring, just until the chorizo begins to release its fat, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, beans and bay. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, for 10 to 15 minutes.
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03Remove and discard the bay, then stir in the scallions. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with bread.
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Reviews
April 24, 2023
type of chorizo?
Are you to use raw or cured chorizo?...
April 4, 2023
Fast, easy and delicious
My whole family likes this one. That’s rare
December 29, 2022
Delish hearty soup
Made per directions and it turned out amazing! Love that it is a quick soup. Perfect use for our leftover Christmas ham and a nice change of flavors. Added it to our favorites list. Thank you!
December 26, 2022
Outstanding!
This is a perfect combination of flavors. I would not change a thing, except that I did have to substitute Linguica because they were sold out of Chourizo.
August 27, 2022
can i substitute some Iberico Ham for Ham Steak?
Recipe Looks deliciousm but can i sub iberico jamon for ham steak?
¿Who told you Fabada is a tapa? You can certainly eat a tapa sized portion, but Fabada is a main course. Typically, the Spanish eat it for lunch because they consider it too heavy for dinner, especially when it includes all the usual meats. The chorizo is usually in small chunks, better 'chew' factor than thin slices. Thanks for handy quick version. ¡Buen provecho!
I plan to make this tonight, but it strikes me that with a few simple modifications this recipe could easily feature fish instead of ham: swap cod for ham, and fish stock for chicken stock. Any thoughts?
Hi Margaret,
We encourage the kitchen improv so please report back! One suggestion would be cooking the fish whole and then breaking it into chunks (another one of our new rules) to ensure it doesn't overcook. Take a look at the following recipe for insight: https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/brazilian-fish-stew-moqueca
Best,
The Milk Street Team
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Your First Issue
So easy, so delicious and although we cook Spanish dishes once in a while this one - fabada asturiana - was new to us. (One of the things we enjoy of many about Milk Street is these kind of 'introductions'. :-) ) Made per recipe with exception of replacing canned white beans with an equivalent amount of Judion beans that I already had cooked and ready to use. (Judion are a fav at our house. Large white kidney shaped bean from Spain that are sturdy but with creamy interior when cooked, similar to a Faba / Fava broad bean. The Judion Astorga that our local Basque market stocks is Le Catedral brand and can be found at Spanish specialty retailers on line too. ) Otherwise made per recipe for ingredients and technique for delicious outcome. Keeper. Notes: 1) Recipe specifies 4 servings but I'd say more like 6, in particular if you are serving other things with this as part of a tapas style meal. 2) The broth can be reduced by about one-third - recommend starting with less and adding to your preference. 3) Saffron threads lend pretty color but given bold flavor of the chorizo not so sure the saffron flavor isn't lost - next time I may try subbing paprika. 4) Leftovers gently reheated are great.