Vegetarian Fasolia Beans Stew Recipe – Fasolia bi Zait

In Lebanon this dish is commonly known as “Fasolia at’aa” or “Fasolia bi zait” which translate to “vegetarian Fasolia” and “Fasolia with oil.”

Fasolia is a variety of red beans or pinto beans that you can commonly find in supermarkets. For this recipe pick the beans with tan/lighter color if possible, or as a second best pick red beans. And if you have control over it, pick beans that are new, and haven’t been stocked for a very long time.

Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 90 mins
Total time 1 hour 50 mins

Author: Mama’s Lebanese Kitchen

Recipe type: Middle Eastern Entree

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 cups of pinto beans (fasolia)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 head of garlic, finely minced
1 medium head of potato, cut into tiny cubes
½ cup of olive oil
1-2 teaspoons of tomato paste
½ teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
8 cups of water

Instructions

Soak the beans overnight in fresh water so that they soften and cook faster.

In a deep cooking pot, sautee the garlic, onions, potatoes and beans in the olive oil for 5-10 minutes.

Add 8 cups of warm water to the pot along with the salt and stir well

Cover the pot and let gently boil/simmer on low heat for 1 hour

Add 2 teaspoons of tomato paste to the pot, stirr well, boil for another 15 minutes and serve hot with a side of pita bread.

Notes

Note that if you add cold water instead of warm water to the pot, the beans may wrinkle.