White beans stew in bread rolls

This recipe is popular in Dracula's land, Transylvania. If you ever go there, you have to try this. The traditional way of serving is in a home-made bread, which forms a bowl for the stew. In Romania people use normally dry beans, but I have used now can beans. Therefore the preparation takes less time. However, if you want to cook it in the traditional way, then you can find the method in “My tips” section.

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 50-60 min

Ingredients for 4 persons:

500 g tin white beans, drained and rinsed

150 g bacon

2 oninons

2 carrots

1-2 parsnip

400 g tin chopped tomatoes

3-4 tbsp olive oil

1 cup warm water (250 ml)

fresh or dry herbs: tarragon, 2-3 bay leaves, parsley, thyme

1 tbsp sweet paprika powder

salt and pepper

10-12 mini cabanosi (spicy Italian sausages)

4-8 bread rolls

Method:

Cut the bacon in cubes. Heat the oil in a pan with thik bottom. Brown the bacon in it.

Meanwhile, chopp the vegetables fine. Add them to the bacon and brown them too.

Add the tin tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper and some warm water. Lower the heat and cook 30-40 minutes , until the bacon becomes soft. If needed, add some more warm water.

Add the beans too and cook for 10-15 minutes more.

Meanwhile, fry the sausages separately.

Serving mode:

Cut the upper part of the bread rolls and take out the soft part. Fill the breadbowl with the stew. Put 1-2 sausages on top and sprinkle with parsley.

My tips:

If you want to use dry beans, keep them over night in cold water. Drain them the day after, put them in a big pot and cover with enough cold water. Cook 10 minutes, then drain, put them back in the pot and fill it again with warm water. Cook 10 more min. Repeat this procedure one more time, so change the water totally 3 times. Last time cook until the beans are almost soft. This can take 1 hour or more. Drain the beans and add them to the bacon and vegetables. Cook until the bacon and beans become soft.
You can add celery or paprika, chopped together with the other vegetables.
Before serving, take out the bay leaves and thyme (if you used fresh thyme).
You can serve the stew with or without sausages, or even without bacon, for the vegetarians.
In Romania people serves this stew together with a red oninon salat, prepared like this: cut the onions in very fine strips, add salt and some vinegar and mix.

Enjoy it!

Have a quick view to the bellow movie to see how I'm doing this recipe. For more video-recipes, subscribe on my Youtube channel.