Polish beans and sausage or “Fasolka po bretońsku” is a tasty Polish dish made with white beans, kielbasa sausage, bacon, onions, and tomatoes. It’s cooked together to create a flavorful stew that’s hearty and filling.
About the recipe
Fasolka po bretońsku, a traditional Polish dish, translates to “beans Breton style” in English. Despite its name suggesting a Breton origin, it’s actually a traditional Polish dish. The name likely stems from the style or ingredients used in preparing the dish, borrowing the term “Breton” to evoke a sense of a particular cooking style or flavor profile associated with Brittany, a region in France known for its culinary heritage.
The dish itself consists of beans cooked with sausage, bacon, onions, and tomatoes, seasoned with various herbs and spices, creating a hearty and flavorful stew. The “Breton style” descriptor might have been adopted to signify a particular way of preparing or flavoring the dish, rather than indicating its actual origin.
Another typical Polish dish with a name suggesting foreign origin is “ryba po grecku“, which translates to Greek-style fish in English.
Ingredients
Below you will find information about the ingredients and how to prepare the recipe. For the measurements and detailed instructions scroll down to the printable recipe card.
Here’s what you need to make this easy recipe:
- Kielbasa – means just “sausage” in Polish and there are many kinds of it! You can use any smoked sausage for this recipe. The sausage shown on the photo above is called “kielbasa torunska” (in the style of Torun, a Polish city).
- Smoked bacon (boczek wedzony) – preferably in a block that you can cut into cubes, but thick slices will also do.
- White beans – any kind, small or bigger. Unfortunately, the best for this recipe are dry beans that you need to cook first. You can also use canned beans but it’s just not the same, mainly because of the consistency – canned beans are just too soft. In Poland, a white bean variety that is used in this recipe is called “piękny Jaś”.
- Fresh onion and garlic.
- Crushed tomatoes (or diced tomatoes) and tomato paste.
- Chicken broth or water with some crushed chicken bouillon.
- Aromatics/spices: bay leaves, allspice berries, marjoram (spices typical for Polish cuisine), oregano, smoked paprika (you can add more than listed, my kids don’t like dishes that are overly ‘smoked’, you can also add sweet paprika but I prefer this dish without it), a touch of cayenne pepper (it won’t be spicy).
How to make it
STEP 1: Soak the beans (you need to start the day before):
Place beans in a large bowl, cover with water – it should be about 4 inches (10cm) above the beans. Leave to soak overnight (about 10-12 hours), then drain (you can also soak them longer but they are the best when soaked for 10-12 hours, you can either soak them longer, for up to 24 hours or drain them and put in the fridge until ready to use). Discard the soaking water.
Cook the beans: Add the drained beans to a medium/large pot, add 4 cups of cold water (1L), bay leaves, allspice berries and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil then simmer over low heat, covered, for 1-2 hours (smaller beans that have been soaked for longer than 10 hours will be ready after about an hour, smaller beans that have been soaked for 10 hours will be ready after about 1 1/2 hours, larger beans will need about 2 hours, check your beans if they are soft but not as soft as from the can – they’re ready). Drain the beans, discard the spices and the cooking liquid.
If using canned beans and not dry beans, just drain them and rinse on a sieve.
1 cup dry white beans, or 2 (14 oz or 400ml each) canned beans, 3 allspice berries, 2 bay leaves
STEP 2: Prepare the other ingredients:
Cut kielbasa into large chunks, smoked bacon into small chunks/dice, dice the onion, finely chop garlic.
1/2 lb (225g) smoked kielbasa, 3 1/2 oz (100g) smoked bacon, 1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic
STEP 3: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the kielbasa and bacon. Cook for a couple of minutes until the fat is partially rendered (melted), turn the heat to medium-high and cook until browned.
STEP 4: Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onions, cook for a couple of minutes, until soft and translucent.
Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring.
STEP 5: Add tomato paste, oregano, marjoram, smoked paprika, and cayenne, cook for a minute, stirring.
1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon marjoram, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, pinch of cayenne pepper
Add crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
1 can (14 oz or 400ml) crushed tomatoes, 1 cup (240ml) chicken broth
STEP 6: Add beans (any kind) and simmer for 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with crusty bread spread with salted butter.
Enjoy!
Storage
This dish stores and reheats very well. Store it in the fridge for up to 4-5 days and reheat in a pan.
More Polish dinner recipes for you to enjoy
- Stuffed Cabbage Soup (stove or pressure cooker)
- Leczo (Polish Vegetable and Sausage Stew)
- Pork Stew (Polish Pork Goulash)
- Chicken Kyiv (Cutlet De Volaille)
- Łazanki – Polish noodles with cabbage, kiełbasa, and mushrooms
- Gołąbki – Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Here you can find all my Polish recipes.
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Polish Beans and Sausage (Fasolka po bretońsku)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (180g) dry white beans or 2 (14 oz or 400ml each) canned beans
- 3 allspice berries optional
- 2 bay leaves optional
- 1 tablespoon frying oil
- 1/2 lb (225g) smoked Polish sausage smoked kielbasa
- 3 1/2 oz (100g) smoked bacon preferably in a block but you can also use thick slices
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika or more, to your taste
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 can (14 oz or 400ml) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup (240ml) chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- crusty bread with salted butter to serve
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Instructions
- Soak the beans (you need to start the day before): place beans in a large bowl, cover with water – it should be about 4 inches (10cm) above the beans. Leave to soak overnight (about 10-12 hours), then drain (you can also soak them longer but they are the best when soaked for 10-12 hours, you can either soak them longer, for up to 24 hours or drain them and put in the fridge until ready to use). Discard the soaking water.1 cup (180g) dry white beans, 3 allspice berries, 2 bay leaves
- Cook the beans: Add the drained beans to a medium/large pot, add 4 cups of cold water (1L), bay leaves, allspice berries and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil then simmer over low heat, covered, for 1-2 hours (smaller beans that have been soaked for longer than 10 hours will be ready after about an hour, smaller beans that have been soaked for 10 hours will be ready after about 1 1/2 hours, larger beans will need about 2 hours, check your beans if they are soft but not as soft as from the can – they're ready). Drain the beans, discard the spices and the cooking liquid.
- If using canned beans and not dry beans, just drain them and rinse on a sieve.
- Prepare the other ingredients: Cut kielbasa into large chunks, smoked bacon into small chunks/dice, dice the onion, finely chop garlic.1/2 lb (225g) smoked Polish sausage, 3 1/2 oz (100g) smoked bacon, 1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the kielbasa and bacon. Cook for a couple of minutes until the fat is partially rendered (melted), turn the heat to medium-high and cook until browned.1 tablespoon frying oil
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onions, cook for a couple of minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring.
- Add tomato paste, oregano, marjoram, smoked paprika, and cayenne, cook for a minute, stirring.1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon marjoram, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, pinch of cayenne pepper
- Add crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.1 can (14 oz or 400ml) crushed tomatoes, 1 cup (240ml) chicken broth
- Add beans (any kind) and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with crusty bread spread with salted butter.
- Enjoy!
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