Recipe for: Breton Bean Stew (traditional autumn version) - photo 1
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Recipe for: Breton Bean Stew (traditional autumn version)

Spicy Main dishes Regional Cuisine of Poland 60 min Medium 0 views ~12.07 PLN * - (0)
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Description

Baked beans Breton-style is a classic Polish one-pot dish with a spicy, slightly smoky aroma, combining juicy white beans with pieces of smoked bacon and sausage, all in a thick tomato sauce. It originates from working-class and peasant cuisine — hearty, warming, and perfect for chilly autumn days. It is most often served with rustic bread or potatoes; it works great as a main dish for a family dinner or a gathering with friends. In this version, I also suggest some gentle modifications: adding carrots for sweetness and a bit of tomato paste for intense color and thickness. The dish is rustic and visually appealing — dark, soft beans in a thick, red sauce, pieces of golden bacon, and slices of sausage on top.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (17)

Servings:
4
  • Dry white beans 300 g
  • Water 1200 ml
  • Smoked bacon 150 g
  • Country sausage 200 g
  • Onion 2 pcs (~300 g)
  • Garlic 3 clove (~15 g)
  • Carrot 1.3 pcs (~100 g)
  • Rapeseed oil 30 g
  • Tomato purée 200 g
  • Tomato paste 30 g
  • 🌿 Spices
  • Marjoram 2 g
  • Bay leaf 6.7 pcs (~2 g)
  • Allspice (berries) 3 pcs (~3 g)
  • Salt 0.2 pinch (~5 g)
  • Black pepper 4 pinch (~2 g)
  • ✨ Optional
  • Country bread 200 g
  • 18% cream 50 ml
💰 Estimated dish cost: ~12.07 PLN (3.02 PLN/serving)
* Prices missing for some ingredients

💡 Click an ingredient to mark it as used

Preparation steps

Soaking the beans

1

Pour 300 g of dry white beans into a large bowl. Cover with cold water so that the water covers the beans by at least 5 cm (about 1–1.5 l of additional water). Leave to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight at room temperature. If you are doing a quick soak, pour boiling water over them and let sit for 1–2 hours.

Ingredients: dry white beans, Water
Use a large bowl or pot (minimum capacity 3 l). Soaking reduces cooking time and improves digestibility. Do not salt the soaking water — salt hardens the skin of the beans.

Cooking beans - preliminary step

2

After soaking, drain the beans in a colander and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a large pot (at least 4 l), cover with 900 ml of fresh water so that it covers the beans by about 2 cm. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam (white froth) with a slotted spoon, reduce the heat, and simmer with the lid slightly ajar for 30–40 minutes, until the beans start to soften but do not fall apart.

Ingredients: dry white beans, Water, Bay leaf
Use a heavy pot with a thick bottom (4–5 l). Cook on low heat so the beans do not fall apart. Check for tenderness every 10 minutes: the beans should be soft on the inside but not breaking apart.

Sautéing meat and vegetables

3

While the beans are cooking, prepare the meat: cut the bacon into cubes about 1 cm, and slice the sausage. Heat a pan with a diameter of 26–28 cm with 2 tablespoons (30 g) of rapeseed oil. Add the bacon and fry over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, until the fat renders and the bacon is lightly browned. Add the chopped onion (300 g) and fry for 3–4 minutes, until the onion is translucent and softened. Add the diced carrot (100 g) and fry for another 4 minutes. Finally, add the garlic (15 g) and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Lastly, add the sausage slices and fry for 2 minutes until browned.

Ingredients: Smoked bacon, country sausage, Onion, Carrot, Rapeseed oil, Garlic
Use a wide frying pan (26–28 cm) or a saucepan, and a wooden spoon for stirring. Do not fry the onion too long over high heat — it will become bitter; the goal is to soften and lightly caramelize it.

Preparing the sauce

4

Add 200 g of tomato purée and 30 g of tomato paste to the sautéed ingredients in the pan. Mix, heat for 1–2 minutes to release the aroma of the paste. Transfer the contents of the pan to the pot with the boiling beans. If the sauce is too thick, add 200–300 ml of water from the recipe.

Ingredients: tomato purée, Tomato paste, Water, Smoked bacon, country sausage
If you are using passata instead of puree, you can skip the concentrate. First, dissolve the concentrate in a little hot liquid to avoid lumps.

Seasoning and simmering

5

Add 2 bay leaves and 3 allspice berries to the pot with the beans and sauce. Add 5 g of salt and 2 pinches (2 g) of black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer everything covered for 20–25 minutes, so the flavors meld and the sauce thickens. Five minutes before the end, add 2 teaspoons of marjoram (2 g) and mix well.

Ingredients: Bay leaf, Salt, Black pepper, Marjoram
Cook on very low heat — too vigorous boiling can break the beans. Check every few minutes if more water needs to be added. Remove the bay leaf and allspice before serving.

Taste testing and finishing touches

6

Taste the dish and season with additional salt or pepper to your liking. If the sauce is too sour, you can add a pinch of sugar (optional) or a teaspoon of butter to soften the flavor. If you want a creamy consistency, add 50 g of 18% cream (optional) directly to the plate when serving.

Ingredients: Salt, Black pepper, 18% cream
Use a metal spoon for tasting. Add salt gradually — it's easy to oversalt. Additionally, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika for a smoky aroma (optional).

Serving

7

Serve the beans hot in deep plates or bowls. Top with a few slices of sausage and pieces of bacon. Serve with slices of fresh country bread (optional) or with boiled potatoes.

Ingredients: country sausage, Smoked bacon, country bread
For serving, use a shallow, wide plate or a clay bowl — it adds a rustic character. Additionally, you can serve table mustard on the side for those who want it.

Fun Fact

💡

Despite the name "Breton-style," the dish has roots in Polish rural cuisine — the name likely comes from the historical influence of French on the naming of dishes, but the recipe has developed locally as a hearty one-pot meal.

Best for

family dinner jesienne spotkanie przyjęcie w gronie przyjaciół

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve very hot; it pairs perfectly with dark country bread. For contrast, serve with slices of pickled cucumber or a spoonful of fresh sour cream. You can also serve with mustard or finely chopped parsley.

🥡 Storage

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a little water and heat on low to prevent the sauce from becoming too thick. The dish can also be frozen (without bread and cream) for up to 2 months; after thawing, heat slowly.

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