Fasolia Lebanese Lamb and Lima Bean Stew

Name: Fasolia Lebanese Lamb and Lima Bean Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 1 lb (0.5 kg) of boneless lamb or 2 lbs (1 kg) of lamb with bone; 2 lbs (1 kg) dried lima beans; 2 cans of crushed tomatoes (14.5 ounces or 400 grams in each can); 4 cups of chopped onions (about 3 medium onions or 2 large onions); 12 cups of water (initially) + 1 to 2 cups more for the last hour of cooking; 3 tbsp of olive oil; 1 tsp pepper; 1 tbsp allspice; salt to taste; 1 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

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Fasolia (pronounced FA-SOOL-YA) is a white bean stew made with large lima beans (also known as butter beans) and lamb stewed in sautéed onions, crushed tomatoes, and allspice. This is a Lebanese recipe I ate frequently as a child. It's what I think of when I think of comfort food.

This lamb and lima bean stew can be made in a variety of ways: on the stovetop, in an Instant Pot, and in a slow cooker.

What I Love About This Recipe

Fasolia, lamb and lima bean stew, is incredibly simple and satisfying. The portion size for this recipe is rather large, making it suitable for a large family or a meal prep recipe. Over the years, I've made this recipe with all types of cuts of lamb and beef. My favorite meat to use is lamb with the bone, cut into large chunks. This hearty stew is slow-cooked for several hours making the flavors infuse beautifully.

Ingredients You'll Need:

Dried Lima Beans: I recommend using large dried lima beans for this recipe because they make this stew really thick and hearty. If you can only find small lima beans, those will work too. I have never made this recipe with canned lima beans, so I don't recommend using the canned stuff. Butter beans are the same thing as lima beans, so dried butter beans are acceptable as well.
Lamb: Any cut of lamb will work for this recipe. I recommend cutting the lamb into large chunks, so it will cook easily. If lamb is unavailable, beef is a great substitute. Also, the amount of lamb or beef can be adjusted to your dietary preference.
Onions: I use white onions, brown onions, or sweet onions for this recipe. I chop the onions into small pieces. Since onion size varies dramatically, I recommend measuring the chopped onions.
Canned Tomatoes: Any type of canned crushed tomato is suitable.
Ground Allspice: Ground allspice is important for this dish. It's easy to find in the spice section of any grocery store. If you don't have any allspice, you can add half the amount of cinnamon.
Olive Oil: Any type of good quality olive oil is suitable for this recipe. Butter or ghee can be substituted if needed.
Salt and pepper:
Chopped cilantro (optional): In the Northern part of Lebanon, chopped cilantro is added to this stew. I really like the chopped cilantro, so I'd recommend using it.

You will also need:

Very large stovetop pot
Nonstick skillet
Spatula
Chefs knife and cutting board
Can opener
Larger bowl to soak the beans

How To Make Fasolia

Caramelize the lamb in a large pot on medium-high heat with olive oil. Caramelize all sides of the lamb.

Saute the onions in the same skillet as the lamb. Add the chopped onions directly to the same skillet used for caramelizing the lamb. This gets all of the lamb flavor infused into the onions.

Add the soaked lima beans, water, caramelized lamb, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, and allspice. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Cook for about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours on medium heat with a lid. The water will reduce and the stew will thicken up. Add about 1 cup to 2 cups more water to the stew. Cook for another 1 hour on low heat covered. The total cook time for this stew is about 3 hours.

Keep an eye on the beans. Make sure the beans are not burning on the bottom of the pot while cooking this recipe. I stir the pot about every 30 minutes to make sure there is adequate liquid.

The lamb and lima bean stew is finished once the lima beans are extremely tender and the liquid in the pot is thickened up.

Tips and Tricks

Soak the lima beans (butter beans) the night before. Since we are using dried butter beans for this recipe, we need to soak the beans ahead of time. I recommend doing this the night before. However, if you are short on time, you can soak the beans for a minimum of 3 hours.
Add enough water when soaking the butter beans. I add about 3 inches (7.5 cm) of water above the dried butter beans. They will really expand while soaking. Rinse the water and drain prior to making the recipe.
Use allspice. This spice makes a large part of the flavor. If you have never cooked with allspice, now is the time! If you don't have any allspice on hand, then substitute half the amount of ground cinnamon or 7 spice.
The lamb meat and lima bean cooking times are about the same if the lima beans have been soaked overnight. I cook the lamb and beans together so that the flavors infuse. The beans take longer to cook than the lamb, especially if using large lima beans.
Complete the 3 hour cooking time. Fasolia gets better and better the longer it is cooked. Don't take short cuts for the cook time. If you try to cook this stew faster by turning up the heat, you will run the risk of burning the bottom of the pot. Cook for 2 hours on medium heat, then 1 hour on low heat.

Two Alternative Ways to Cook This Stew

I normally cook fasolia on the stovetop, however, there are a few other options for making this recipe quick and easy.

How To Make Fasolia In A CrockPot

One of the hacks for fasolia is stewing the meat, beans, crushed tomatoes, and sautéed onions in a crockpot. This recipe makes a massive quantity, so make sure the crockpot you have is large enough. You might need to cut this recipe in half if using a small crockpot.

Chop the onions.
In a large nonstick skillet, add the olive oil. Caramelize the meat on all sides. Set the meat aside.
Add the chopped onions to the same pan. Sautee the onions until they are a light brown color.
Add the water, soaked lima beans, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, allspice, caramelized meat, and sautéed onions to the crock pot.
Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
Serve with rice.

How To Make Fasolia In An Instant Pot

If you are short on time, an instant pot can shave off almost an hour of cook time. To make this recipe in an instant pot, follow the same instructions as the crockpot however adjust the cooking time for the instant pot. I recommend cooking this butter beans stew for 1 hour and 15 minutes on high in the instant pot.

FAQs

What is the difference between butter beans vs. lima beans?

Butter beans are large lima beans. Lima beans come in a few different sizes.

What goes with lima beans?

Rice! The best side dish for this butter beans stew with lamb is some Lebanese vermicelli rice.

How to cook dried lima beans?

Soak the lima beans first overnight. Boil the lima beans for about 1.5 hours with water until tender. Depending on the size of the lima beans, the cook time can vary.

What does fasolia mean?

In Arabic, fasolia means lima beans.

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