Lebanese Fasolia

Fasolia bil zeit — white beans in olive oil — is a staple of Lebanese home cooking that embodies the country's mezze tradition: humble, honest, and built on good olive oil. Dried white beans are slow-cooked with tomatoes, onion, garlic, and a generous hand with olive oil until they are creamy and the sauce is silky and aromatic. It is eaten warm or at room temperature as a mezze dish, a side, or a light meal scooped with flatbread. Every Lebanese grandmother has her version — some add pomegranate molasses for a tang, others finish with a squeeze of lemon.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 400g (14 oz) dried white navy or cannellini beans, soaked overnight
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 400g (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 100ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried chili flakes, or to taste
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley to garnish

Instructions

1. Drain soaked beans and cover with fresh water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45–60 minutes until just tender but not falling apart. Drain, reserving 250ml (1 cup) of the cooking liquid.
2. In a wide heavy pot, heat 60ml (¼ cup) olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until deeply golden and beginning to caramelise.
3. Add garlic and stir for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and chili flakes. Cook 1 minute more.
4. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and 200ml (¾ cup) of the reserved bean water. Simmer 10 minutes until sauce deepens in colour.
5. Add drained beans to the pot. Stir gently to combine without breaking the beans. Add remaining olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until the sauce clings to the beans.
6. Squeeze in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Drizzle with additional olive oil before serving, garnish with parsley.

Cook's Notes: Fasolia can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold — it only improves over time as the beans absorb the olive oil and spices. If you prefer, substitute 2 cans of drained white beans to skip the soaking step, reducing initial cooking time to 10 minutes in the sauce. Pomegranate molasses can replace the lemon for a deeper, fruitier acidity.