Traditional White Bean Stew Recipe | With Beef Pepperoni

Turkish White Bean Stew with Beef Pepperoni (395 Calories, 22g Protein, 11g Fiber)

This kuru fasulye, Turkey’s national dish and a fixture at my grandmother’s Sunday table, delivers 395 calories per bowl with 22 grams of protein, 11 grams of fiber, and 12 grams of fat. The twist here is beef pepperoni, known as sucuk or soujouk, sizzled in butter so its spiced fat renders into the stew base. That is the Turkish family secret that turns a humble bean pot into something craveable. Serve with cooked jasmine or basmati rice on the side; ladle a few spoonfuls of the stew directly onto the rice as a topping to hit the peak flavor combination. This is comfort food for cold weeknights and Sunday family dinners.

What Makes This Recipe Work

Two fats, two stages. Start by melting butter with sunflower oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat, around 325 F. Add sliced soujouk and let it render for 3 to 4 minutes until the paprika-red oil pools around the slices. That spiced fat becomes your cooking medium. Remove the soujouk, then saute onion and garlic in the flavored fat until translucent. Bloom tomato paste and pepper paste in the oil for 60 seconds so they lose their raw edge. Add pre-soaked or canned white beans, water or broth, and simmer covered at 200 F for 30 to 40 minutes so the beans absorb the aromatics without breaking apart. Return the soujouk in the last 10 minutes so it stays chewy. Finish with a knob of butter for gloss and depth.

Traditional White Bean Stew Recipe

White Bean Stew Recipe

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Ingredient Notes

Small navy beans or cannellini beans are the traditional choice; cannellini hold their shape better and have a creamier interior. Dried beans soaked overnight and cooked from scratch give the best texture, but two 15-ounce cans work in a pinch, cutting the total cook time to 25 minutes. Beef pepperoni (Turkish sucuk) is available online or at Middle Eastern and Turkish butchers; look for the spicy version (aci) for the best flavor. If unavailable, use quality diced beef stew meat browned separately. Turkish red pepper paste (biber salcasi) is the flavor foundation; substitute 1 tablespoon tomato paste plus half a teaspoon of Aleppo pepper if needed. Use a heavy Dutch oven for even heat distribution.

Vegan Version of the White Bean Stew

Skip the butter and soujouk entirely. Use 4 to 5 tablespoons of good olive oil instead of the sunflower oil, and add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to mimic the smoky depth of the sausage. Add extra pepper paste and a splash of soy sauce for umami. The finished dish drops to 310 calories per bowl and 16 grams of protein while gaining 4 grams of fiber.

What is Soujouk and How Can You Make White Bean Stew Without it?

Beef pepperoni, or Soujouk, is tricky to find outside Turkish specialty shops. Order online or use diced beef. If using diced beef, put it in the pot first with a quarter cup of water, bring to a boil, then simmer until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes. Then continue with butter, sunflower oil, onion, and the rest of the ingredients following the main recipe.

Tips and Variations

For meal prep, make a double batch; the stew tastes even better on day two. For a low-sodium adjustment, use unsalted broth, cook beans from dried without salt, and skip the pepper paste in favor of Aleppo pepper. Push protein to 30 grams by doubling the soujouk portion or serving over rice with a fried egg on top. For a spicy version, add a whole dried Turkish chili to the simmering liquid. Fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon just before serving brighten the whole pot.

Storage and Meal Prep

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days; the flavor peaks on day two. Freezes beautifully for 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water to loosen. Pack meal-prep containers with rice on one side and stew on the other, with a wedge of lemon and a sprinkle of parsley to add fresh at serving.