Ful – Arabic stew

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 800 g tomatoes
• 800 g beans, white from the can (drained weight) or the same amount freshly cooked
• 400 g onion(s)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 500 g sheep’s cheese
• some olive oil
• Sambal Oelek
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

an excellent vegetarian alternative to chili con carne

Finely chop or mince the onion and garlic and sauté in olive oil, dice the tomatoes (or buy them already chopped in a can) and add them along with the beans (if using canned beans, use about half the bean water, otherwise use a little of the cooking water). When the beans are somewhat soft, puree them once. Dice the feta cheese, add them, and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a little sambal oelek. Be careful not to make the base too spicy! It’s best served with flatbread, but baguette or ciabatta will also work. As a side dish to lamb or other meat dishes, only use 1/3 or 1/4 of the amount as a portion size; ful is very filling. The non-spicy version of ful is also great for children. Adults can spice it up as much as they like with sambal oelek! It’s a great option if you’re looking for a vegetarian alternative to chili con carne. It’s also excellent for cooking in large quantities and keeping warm for extended periods. Ful also tastes great cold as a spread on bread.