Lobio (coriander kidney bean stew)
Servings: 4
This is an absolute Georgian classic – and since ‘lobio’ translates simply to ‘beans’, every local version of this dish will be about as different as ajo blanco versions are in Spanish households. I love how much coriander is in this, both ground and fresh. You can decide whether to make it more of a stew, or even a soup, depending on how much stock you do or don’t add. It’s extremely versatile, and simply delicious. Particularly when served with traditional mchadi – Georgian cornbread.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra to serve
- 1 brown onion finely chopped
- 1 cup 120 g walnuts, finely chopped plus extra to garnish
- 1 teaspoon salt flakes
- 1 tablespoon ground fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 30 ml (1 fl oz) red wine vinegar
- 2 400g (14 oz) tins kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons chopped coriander stems (cilantro) plus extra leaves to garnish
- 3 tablespoons chopped mint stems plus extra leaves to garnish
- 2 cups 500 ml vegetable stock
- 3-4 garlic cloves finely crushed
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper optional
- flatbreads or cornbread to serve
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and wait for the sizzle, pop a lid on and sweat away over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the lid.
- Add the walnuts, salt, fenugreek, ground coriander and curry powder and stir for about 4 minutes, or until the nuts are toasted and spices aromatic. Add the vinegar and let it reduce a bit.
- Stir in the beans and cook, stirring and breaking up the beans with a wooden spoon, for another 4 minutes, or until the beans have fully softened. Add the coriander and mint stems and stir them about to soften. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then simmer over medium–low heat for 15 minutes.
- Just before serving, stir in the garlic. Taste for seasoning, adding the white pepper and more salt and vinegar as needed.
- Serve with a final drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of extra walnuts and mint and coriander leaves to garnish, with flatbreads on the side.
Notes
Tips
If raw garlic is a little strong for you, add it when the walnuts and spices go in instead.
Some people like to whiz the lobio into a smooth paste, more like a dip – which is totally cool! Use a stick blender once everything is cooked. Shortcut Blitz the spices, crushed garlic, 100 g (31/2 oz) nut butter, fresh coriander (cilantro) and a
400 g (14 oz) tin of rinsed and drained kidney beans together to form a simple bean dip. Season to taste. Recipe from In Praise of Veg (Murdoch Books)
Some people like to whiz the lobio into a smooth paste, more like a dip – which is totally cool! Use a stick blender once everything is cooked. Shortcut Blitz the spices, crushed garlic, 100 g (31/2 oz) nut butter, fresh coriander (cilantro) and a
400 g (14 oz) tin of rinsed and drained kidney beans together to form a simple bean dip. Season to taste. Recipe from In Praise of Veg (Murdoch Books)
