Turkish bean soup recipe (white bean stew)
Turkish bean soup (White bean stew) is one of Turkey’s most traditional dishes. No matter where you are in Turkey, you can find this recipe in almost all neighborhood restaurants and all soup kitchens. Today, feeling a bit lazy about cooking, I took the easy way out and wanted to prepare this classic Turkish dish that I also loved to eat during my time in Turkey. Do not worry; it is very easy to make, healthy, filling, and delicious.
As I mentioned in my last shared recipe, “Lemon Turkish Delight,” I have been living in Como, Italy for about 6-7 months. While strolling through the Como market on a Tuesday and getting inspired by the vegetables and fruits in Italy, I’ve been generating new recipes in my mind for you. After realizing I’d been walking around for 4 hours and feeling tired, I wanted to indulge in some laziness. Since the last recipe I shared was a Turkish recipe, I thought, “Why not continue from the same cuisine?” and started recalling Turkish recipes, and this classic recipe came to mind.
By the way, you will love the dessert recipe I will share with you in the coming days. I recommend subscribing to the newsletter to not miss this recipe, which you have never seen before and I completely created.
What are the Ingredients for the Turkish bean soup?
As I mentioned above, it’s an easy-to-prepare stew recipe. It is a recipe that will keep you full for hours. It’s also one of the most suitable recipes for people on a diet.
You only need 4 main ingredients. The ingredients we need are as follows:
- White beans: If you don’t want to use canned beans, you can use dried beans instead. But if you choose dried beans, you need to soak them in water overnight and wait for them to soften until the next day.
- Green peppers: Actually, this ingredient is optional. I recommend using it because it adds a little flavor and gives a nice color to the soup, but you can prepare it without it if you don’t have it at home.
- Tomato paste: If you don’t live in Turkey or live in an area where Turkish or Middle Eastern grocery stores are not available, it may be difficult to find pepper paste. If you can find pepper paste, use 1 tablespoon of pepper paste and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. If you don’t have pepper paste, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste will be enough.
- Yellow onion: The yellow onion is essential for this recipe and is one of the most commonly used vegetables in Turkish cuisine.
- Salt and herbs: You’ll also need salt and black pepper. If white beans typically cause gas for you, you should use 1/2 tablespoon of cumin to prevent the beans from causing gas in your stomach. If you’re not sensitive to beans, you may skip the cumin.
Cumin can help with bloating
Beans and some legumes, as is well known, can cause gas formation in the stomach for some individuals. Unfortunately, I am one of those individuals. Indeed, I have a sensitive stomach when it comes to legumes. To prevent this gas formation, how you prepare the meal is crucial. For example, if you want to use dried white beans for this recipe, you must soak the beans in water for at least 16 hours. In such cases, some spices are used in the kitchen. One of these is cumin.
Cumin can help with bloating because it has properties that support the digestive system. The chemicals in cumin can facilitate digestion and have a soothing effect on the digestive system. It is especially carminative, meaning it can reduce gas formation. However, everyone’s body may react differently, so it’s important to experiment to see how cumin affects you.
What is Turkish bean soup (bean stew) served with?
Turkishbean stew (kuru fasulye) is usually served with rice, pickles, onions, and pickled peppers as accompaniments. Additionally, yogurt is often served with kuru fasulye in Turkish cuisine. Some people also pour a sauce made with tomatoes and peppers over it and consume it by dipping bread into it. Preferences may vary from person to person, but typically these accompaniments complement kuru fasulye nicely.
When you are in a Turkish restaurant and order “Pilav üstü kuru“, they will serve you white bean stew on top of rice.
Turkish bean soup recipe
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 Pot medium
Ingredients
- 50 g butter
- 1 big yellow onion
- 400 g canned white beans
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp rock salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin
Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium pot.
- Add finely chopped onions, green pepper, salt, black pepper, cumin and sauté for five minutes over medium-high heat.
- Lower to heat to medium heat, add tomato paste and sauté for another five minutes.
- Add beans, give it a good mix and cook for five minutes.
- Add enough boiling water to cover the beans and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the beans ar soft enough to eat.
- Bon Appétit. Serve with rice, sliced yellow onions and yogurt-garlic sauce.
- Follow for my adventure in Italy.
Notes
- If you use dried beans, the cook time will be longer.
- If you like spicy food, add 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes.
- If you are vegan, you can use olive oil.
