Pasulj (Serbian White Bean Stew) Recipe

Name: I Crave This Rich, Smoky Bean Stew All Winter Long
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 615 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 1 pound dried cannellini or great northern beans; 8 ounces bacon, preferably unsliced, or thick-cut sliced bacon; One (12 to 16-ounce) package smoked sausage (such as smoked kielbasa); 1 tablespoon neutral oil, optional; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 1 large carrot, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 quarts chicken stock; 1 quart water; 2 bay leaves; Salt and black pepper to taste; Chopped parsley or chives, for garnish, optional; 3 tablespoons neutral oil; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon hot paprika

Two bowls of bean and sausage stew on a white surface wooden spoons in each bowl — Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

Pasulj is a hearty Serbian bean stew packed with smoky flavor from cured pork.
Slow simmering makes for tender beans enriched with layers of savory flavor.
A traditional roux, called zafrig, gives the stew a luscious, thick texture.

I learned about pasulj (pronounced pa-sool-y) ten years ago during a bitterly cold New York winter. The radiator in my apartment was on the fritz, and when the maintenance worker arrived, I had a pot of cassoulet simmering on the stove (as one does when it’s freezing and your heat doesn’t work).

The repairman, Aleks, lit up when he saw it. He excitedly told me about a similar dish from his Serbian culture, also made by slowly simmering beans with sausage and cured pork. Aleks was a true hero that day. He fixed our heat and introduced me to what would become one of my favorite winter comfort foods.

This traditional Balkan stew always consists of beans that are slow-cooked with some variety of smoked pork. The type of meat used, as well as the technique, varies widely.

Bowls of bean and sausage soup served with a serving pot and spoon — Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

Key Ingredients in Pasulj

This dish is traditionally made from any combination of smoked pork products, including sausage, pork belly, and ham. I use bacon and smoked kielbasa in mine because I almost always have them on hand.

But despite all that pork, pasulj is really a bean dish that happens to have some meat. The bacon and sausage are mostly there to flavor the beans and add some texture. It is traditionally made with tetovac, a Serbian white bean, but cannellini and great northern beans work perfectly. Don’t forget to soak your beans the night before making your pasulj.

A bowl of bean soup with slices of sausage and a spoon — Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

About Zafrig

Zafrig is the Balkan term for roux. This roux is made in a separate pan, then added at the end of the cooking process to thicken the dish. This step is traditional in the preparation of pasulj.

Recipe Tips

Save some time by adding the onion, carrot, and garlic to a food processor and pulsing a few times until finely chopped.
Slab bacon is traditional for pasulj. Find it at the deli counter in most supermarkets and ask for it unsliced. If you can’t find unsliced bacon, no problem! Use your favorite thick-cut sliced bacon and cut it into pieces about a half inch wide with kitchen shears.
Browning the sausage first in the bacon fat adds another layer of flavor to the dish, but you can skip this step if you’re short on time or just don’t feel like it. Store-bought smoked sausage is already cooked and ready to eat.
The beans should be tender enough after simmering for about an hour and a half, but the flavors will continue to develop the longer the stew simmers. I find two hours to be perfect for an amazingly flavorful dish with beans that still have some structure.

Bowl of bean and sausage stew with a spoon bread and other containers with the same dish in the background — Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

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