Fabada Asturiana and Fabes versus Favas

I received the latest issue of Food & Wine Magazine recently; the issue was all about Spain, and the trip through Spain was hosted by José Andrés. I have been to Barcelona, once, for a day, and loved the city, or all I got to see of it. Food though, was not stellar in the one restaurant we got to try.

That said, I have tasted foods that are Spanish in origin, such as Paella Valenciana, or Caldo Gallego, though I was not in Spain to taste them at their source. I know some of the flavors and know that I love them. This issue of Food and Wine was just dreamy, with all the foods and recipes, and though I had heard of Fabada Asturiana, I had never eaten it. Still, it certainly got my attention (along with at least 15 other recipes), and though I am not at all fond of Morcilla, or blood sausage (I did taste it a few times in Guatemala), with all the other meats in this soup/stew, one sausage would not be terribly missed, at least in my book!

My Fabada Asturiana

The meats called for in the Food and Wine recipe, along with many others I researched online, are ham hocks, slab bacon, morcilla (blood sausage) and Spanish chorizo. As it happens, I had ordered a couple of packages of chorizo and had them in my freezer. And then I came to the beans: Asturian Fabes.

Asturian Fabes

Here began the search, because in most places, "fabes" (which is plural for Faba or Fabe beans) are interpreted as Fava beans. Let me just say: Fabes and Favas are NOT the same bean. Fava beans will not replace Fabes in this dish. As far as I can learn, Asturian Fabes are a vining bean, probably a runner bean variety of Phaseolus vulgaris.

Asturian Fabe Beans (shown top right in the photo below - photo source found here) grow in Asturias, in the mountainous areas of northwestern Spain. They are a large, white bean (though I had no luck finding exact measurements), and shaped similarly to cannellini beans. They are described as creamy textured and flavored. Many places cite how very large these beans get once cooked, since they start out quite large in dried form. I went online to look for Asturian Fabes, and let me just say that they are not easy to find, and once you do find them, they are (to me) exorbitantly priced. I chose not to pay $19.95 (now, as of 2022, $24.00) plus $9.95 S&H for just one pound of beans, on LaTienda.com. Believe it or not, I couldn't find them on Amazon! The one thing that kept getting substituted was Fava Beans.

Clockwise from top left: Fava Beans;  Asturian Fabes;  (map of Spain with Asturias in red), Mexican Royal Corona Beans

Fava Beans

By contrast, fava beans (seen top left in the photo above - photo source found here), also called broad beans, are from the scientific classification Vicia faba. They grow on a bush-like plant. They look entirely different, and are most often eaten fresh. Dried, they are a deep tan/brown and look nothing like the white Asturian Fabes.

The one other kind of bean that was suggested to take the place of the Asturian Fabe beans was dried cannellini beans. Cannellini beans are smaller than the Asturian Fabes, but are similar in texture and are a good substitute.

What I Chose to Use

After searching fruitlessly for Asturian fabes that were reasonably priced and having no success, I went to Rancho Gordo. I have not bought beans from Rancho Gordo very often, but what I have gotten is of exceptional quality. They grow heirloom varieties of beans, some that were nearly lost completely, sometimes due to nothing more than the trickiness of growing them. I really admire those brave souls that are working to bring back heirloom plants, be they beans, or types of ancient wheat or tomatoes (among many other foods). Rancho Gordo has some wonderful varieties of beans, and they have recipes and suggestions for their use. On immediate search, I found nothing of Asturian Fabe beans, which makes sense, as Rancho Gordo is in the American southwest and generally discovering some of the many beans that were found in the southwest. I read about each of the heirloom types of beans they had to offer, and with the last beans on the page, I found what I would use: Royal Corona Beans. This is the description:

"Enormous, thick-skinned runner beans with a surprisingly creamy interior. One of our all-time best sellers, it's a versatile giant that works in all kinds of cuisines. A true pantry staple."

The "creamy interior" part of that quote is what cinched the deal, for me. That is how the Asturian Fabes were described. And they were not kidding or exaggerating when they described them as "giant." 

My Royal Corona Beans: left, dried; right, soaked, prior to cooking

As soon as I received the beans, I set ⅓ of the bag to soak in lots of water overnight, intending to make this soup the following day.

And next morning I ended up in the hospital, and was there through the next day. I was fretting over the beans in the soaking water. Would they be okay after soaking for an extra two days? My husband said that my health was more important than beans!

Once I was home and all was well, I set the beans to cook the next day, along with the rest of the ingredients and the dish came out so good that my husband and I were truly impressed. The beans were just as described. They were lovely, creamy and flavorful. I am planning to try them cooked and soaked in a vinaigrette as a side dish, with the next ⅓ of the package! The extra days of soaking (in the fridge) did them no harm at all.

My Fabada Asturiana

My Fabada Asturiana

Serves 4 to 6

⅓ pound dried Royal Corona or Cannellini beans
1 or 2 ham hocks
¼ pound chunk slab bacon
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves fresh garlic
1½ to 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (Pimenton de la Vera)
¼ to ½ teaspoon saffron threads
¼ pound air dried Spanish chorizo

The night before making the soup, sort through and set the beans to soak with water to cover by at least 2 or 3 inches.  

The following afternoon, drain the beans and discard soaking water. Place the beans in a pot and once again cover with water by at least an inch or so. Add in the ham hock(s) with the chunk of slab bacon, the onion, garlic, smoked paprika and saffron. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours. The beans should be tender, but not falling apart.

Add in the chorizo, all in one piece, and cook for another half hour. Remove the meats from the pot to a plate to cool. Slice the chorizo into pieces and return to the pot. Remove meat from the ham hock, discarding the skin, fat and bones. Put the ham meat back into the pot. If your slab bacon is very meaty, cut up the meat and add back into the pot. Otherwise, just cube the piece of bacon and add that to the pot. Reheat and serve, preferably with a nice piece of crusty bread.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Mom and Dad's Bean Soup is a Delight

My Bean Soup, last evening

Long, long ago, when I was quite young, my Dad brought home a recipe for Bean Soup. They didn't often really cook together. Dad worked long hours and didn't always have time. He was inventive through, and loved to try new things, so I think that must be where I got my gene for trying new things! They made the bean soup though, and it didn't quite suit. So they tinkered with it, tweaked it, and over time, this is what they came up with; a delicious, stick-to-your-ribs kind of soup that is just heaven on a cold day. The photo below left is one my Dad took with his Sony Mavica camera. He was so proud to be able to take photos and immediately email them to all of us children. Dad passed on later that year, and Mom some years later, but their recipes live on.

Mom & Dad's Bean Soup, 2001

ham bone and beans in the pot with water - note the line

To make this soup, it is best to have a leftover ham bone from whatever occasion you have eaten a ham. It is also good to leave a bit of ham on the bone so you get some nice meaty bites in the finished soup. Whenever the occasion arises and a ham bone is left, freeze it, well wrapped until needed. If you really do not have a ham bone, it is possible to make this soup with smoked ham hocks. There was a time when ham hocks had a bit more meat to them, but these days, there is almost none. Still, the flavor will be there and that is the most important part. If you use ham hocks, you might consider adding in 1/2 to 1 pound of cubed ham. Other than the ham bone, the soup is really very simple. Nothing out of the ordinary goes in but beans, barley, onion, carrots, potatoes bay leaves and ketchup.

I don't recall Mom ever soaking the beans for the soup, and I never have when I make my own. Great Northern beans are best, though Navy Beans are fine. When Mom and Dad made the soup in later years, they started playing with the recipe a bit, using celery, which they never did when I was young, and sometimes substituting a bag of baby carrots for regular carrots, sliced. The soup will thicken as the beans are cooked for more than 2 hours. If you stop the cooking when the beans are just tender, the soup will not be as thick, though just as tasty. My preference is that the soup be so nice and thick you can almost stand your spoon up in it, but that is my choice.

Another thing my Dad always did, and I follow suit, is to add a little vinegar to the soup in his bowl. It really enhances the flavor of the soup. I know some may thing this is odd, but I love it, so give it a try. Anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon per bowl, to taste. This soup is heavenly good on its own, but a nice slice of bread with butter is a wonderful addition to the meal.

Bean Soup

The finished soup

1 leftover ham bone, with up to 1 pound meat left on
1 pound Great Northern Beans, picked over and rinsed
1 large onion, diced
1 - 2 bay leaves
1 cup barley, preferably the long-cooking kind
3 - 4 large carrots, scrubbed, sliced in coins
2 - 4 potatoes, depending on size, peeled, cubed
3/4 - 1 cup ketchup

Put first five ingredients into a very large soup pot and add water. The ham bone should stick out by about 1/3 (note the line I made on the photo above to show where the water line was). Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for about an hour or so. Add the carrots, potatoes and ketchup, cover and continue to cook for at least another hour or two, until soup is slightly thickened and beans are falling-apart tender. Remove the ham bone from the pot and set it on a plate. When cool enough to handle, break off all the meat and break it up into shreds. Discard the bone and any fat. Return the meat to the pot and stir in. Remove bay leaves and pass the vinegar!



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Quick Tuesday Supper

I love to cook. I cook a lot, and often. Sometimes, I just want something quick and easy, and last evening that was it. I had been emailing back and forth with my sisters about Bean Soup, a recipe my Mom and Dad created a l-o-n-g, long time ago. I started my website and blog one year and 4 months ago, and in all that time I have not made Bean Soup. It is one of my favorite things in winter. The main reason I couldn't just run to the kitchen and put on a pot of soup was because I had no leftover ham bone (with a bit of meat left on). Usually, whenever I have a ham bone left, I freeze it until such time as it is needed. In the last 24 years since being with my current husband, the use of a ham bone has been divided between My Mom and Dad's Bean Soup, and his Mom's Famous Baked Beans. The last couple of times a ham bone was available in this house, it went to make Baked Beans.

Creamed Ham and Peas, on Toast

Thus, my quickie dinner of last evening. I needed a ham bone. Therefore, I needed a ham! I went out and bought one. I mean, after emailing about it for days, I just want that soup. Now I had a ham and I needed to make dinner. A quick and easy dinner with many kinds of leftovers, such as ham, turkey or chicken, and even canned tuna, is to make a cream sauce or bechamel, and add in some meat and vegetables. My husband and I love peas, so peas was my choice last night. Another of my Mom's easy dishes was Creamed Tuna and Peas, basically with this same recipe. I loved that, growing up. My husband will not eat tuna, so I just don't make it just for myself.

When making this meal of Creamed Ham and Peas, no salt is needed in the recipe, as the ham is salty. If making this dish with turkey or chicken, some salt will be needed. I don't believe Mom ever added salt to her Creamed Tuna and Peas, but when using canned tuna and peas, there is plenty of salt there, also.

Creamed Ham and Peas being made

Creamed Ham and Peas

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk +
1 cup water (or use total liquid amount as 1 1/2 cup milk)
2 cups diced ham
1½ cups frozen peas

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the flour and stir with a spoon or spatula to completely combine the two. Off the heat, add in the evaporated milk and stir to completely combine the butter and flour roux with the milk. Back on the heat, add in the water and stir constantly, until the mixture thickens and is bubbling. (This is your basic Bechamel Sauce).

Add in the ham and the peas, stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan, until the mixture is completely heated through. Easy!

This kind of creamed meal can be served over toast (and we all know what that is called), or over pasta or rice. It can be made and placed in a casserole with some grated cheese over top and baked for 20 to 30 minutes until bubbly. It can be combined with pasta, placed in a casserole and topped with buttered bread crumbs and baked as stated. In other words, this kind of dish is just plain versatile. It can be dressed up by adding in some shredded cheddar or jack cheese to melt while in the skillet or it can have some cream cheese melted in. Since it was already late when I got to making the dish, I made it at its most basic. I just wanted to point out that it can be embellished in so very many ways.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.