Traditional Croatian Baked Butter Beans
A simple Croatian side dish made with large butter beans, smoked bacon and paprika.
Ingredients
- 2 can Butter beans 400g can
- ½ cup smoked bacon
- ⅓ cup cured or smoked sausage (optional)
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 150-170 ml milk
- 1 tbsp smoked or sweet paprika
- ½ tsp chilli flakes or powder
- 1-2 tsp tomato purée
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp plain white flour
- ½-1 tsp black pepper
- salt to taste
- sunflower oil for frying
Instructions
- In a medium pot, fry the finely chopped onion and bacon for 2–3 minutes until fragrant, without browning the onion. Then add the chopped garlic and fry for 1 minute.
- Pour in water, then add drained butter beans, paprika, a pinch of chilli flakes, tomato purée and sugar. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Mix flour and milk in a small cup until smooth, then pour into the pot with beans. Stir in finely chopped parsley and mix well.
- Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 200°C for 20–30 minutes, allowing some liquid to evaporate for a thicker consistency. Reduce baking time if you prefer a looser texture.
Notes
The total calories for the whole dish are about 1,087 kcals. This estimation depends on the specific types and brands of products used. Assuming the dish serves 4 as a side, each portion would contain approximately 272 calories.