Fabada asturiana — Spain

Fabada asturiana is a one-pot stew built around fabes, a large flat white bean, cooked long and slow with a mix of pork products until the beans turn creamy and the broth thickens. It belongs to the wider family of European bean-and-pork stews, alongside dishes such as French cassoulet or Portuguese feijoada, though its own combination of ingredients and its bean variety set it apart. It is reported chiefly from the Principality of Asturias, on Spain's northern coast, where it is closely associated with the region's identity and appears on menus across the province, from village kitchens to city restaurants. Cured pork, blood sausage and saffron threads are common regional staples that find their way into the pot. The beans are soaked overnight, then simmered gently with pork shoulder, chorizo, morcilla and a piece of bacon or salt pork, along with a bay leaf and a pinch of saffron or paprika for colour. The pot is cooked at a very low simmer for several hours, with cold water added occasionally to keep the beans from breaking, until the beans are soft and the broth has turned rich and slightly thickened. Households and cooks vary the exact cuts of pork used, the ratio of chorizo to morcilla, and how much broth is left at the end — some prefer it closer to a thick soup, others to a drier stew. What stays constant across versions is the fabes bean itself and the long, gentle simmer that lets it absorb the flavour of the pork without falling apart.