Fasoulia b’ lahmé is true comfort, a dish that reminds every Lebanese person of home, said Jad Youssef, chef and founder of Lebnani. When the smell of meat and garlic cooking fills the kitchen, you know it’s lunchtime. In our house, my mother would make it with fresh fasoulia (green beans) in summer, and jarred butter beans in the rest of the year. The beans soak up the tomato broth and the flavour of the slow-cooked meat. With rice, lemon, radishes, and a crisp salad on the side, this dish brings family straight to the table.
Ingredients (serves 4-5)
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large brown onion (about 200g), finely chopped
- 600g lamb shoulder (preferably bone-in) or beef shin, cut into large cubes
- 8 large garlic cloves, finely grated
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 large ripe tomatoes (about 600g), peeled and finely chopped (or grated)
- 1 small bunch fresh coriander, washed and finely chopped (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp baharat (a mix of black pepper, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, cumin, cardamom and nutmeg)
- 2 large jars good-quality butter beans (about 800–900g drained weight)
To serve:
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- Lebanese rice with vermicelli
- fresh radishes
- chilli pickles
- lemon wedges
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté gently until soft and golden. Add the lamb pieces and cook until well browned on all sides. Add the garlic and stir gently for a minute until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for two minutes, stirring to coat the meat and onion and develop the flavour. Now add the tomatoes. Stir, and cook gently for about five to seven minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and their juices are beginning to blend with the paste and aromatics. Add the chopped coriander and stir for 2 minutes.
- Pour in 1 to 1.2 litres of cold water. Add the bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and baharat. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Lower the heat and simmer gently, covered, for about 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The meat should be tender and the broth rich and full-flavoured.
- Meanwhile, drain the butter beans from the jar and rinse gently under cold water. About 20 minutes before the end of cooking, add the beans to the pot. Stir gently and allow them to simmer in the broth, absorbing the flavours. The sauce should thicken slightly but remain loose enough to coat the rice beautifully. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
- Serve hot with Lebanese rice with vermicelli, fresh radishes, pickles and lemon wedges. A generous squeeze of lemon over the fasoulia brings everything to life. This is the way we eat it in our house.
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