Lobio

Lobio

In Georgian, lobio (in Hebrew “לוביו”) means beans, and the name covers many versions. This is a thick version of partly mashed red beans with onion, walnuts, cilantro and fenugreek — a vegan meal you can serve hot or at room temperature.

Prep time: 20 minutes · Soaking: overnight · Cooking: 90 minutes · Yield: 6 servings · Difficulty: easy

Mash only some of the beans

Starch from the mashed beans thickens the pot, while the whole beans keep the texture. If you blend everything you get a heavy spread; if you don’t mash at all you get a thin soup.

Ingredients (for 6 servings)

• 500 grams dried red beans, soaked 8–12 hours
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 100 grams ground walnuts
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek and 1/2 teaspoon chili
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and black pepper

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

You can use about 1.2 kg of drained canned beans and cook them for 25 minutes with 500 ml of water. Khmeli suneli from a spice shop can replace the coriander and fenugreek, but check the salt. Walnuts are a major allergen and there is no substitute that gives the same flavor.

Method

1. Cook the beans. Drain the soaking water, cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 60–90 minutes, until the beans are completely soft. Reserve two cups of the cooking water.
2. Fry the onion. Heat the oil in a pot, add the onion and a pinch of salt and fry for 10–12 minutes until golden.
3. Bloom the spices. Add the garlic, ground coriander, fenugreek and chili and stir for half a minute.
4. Combine. Add the beans, walnuts and one cup of the cooking water. Mash about a quarter to a third of the beans and cook for 15 minutes. Add liquid as needed.
5. Balance. Turn off the heat, add the cilantro and vinegar, adjust the salt and let the pot stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

Bread and sides are not included. Halving the walnuts cuts about 55 calories per serving, but it also changes the character of the dish. Canned beans give a similar value once adjusted to drained weight.

Variations and tips

• Don’t add vinegar before the beans are soft; acid can slow the softening.
• If the pot dries out, add hot cooking water, not oil.
• Keeps 4 days in the refrigerator. When reheating, thin it a little because the stew thickens.

Summary

Good lobio sits between a stew and a spread: some of the beans stay whole and some turn into sauce. A serving is about 465 calories and plenty of fiber. Serve it alongside pkhali and see the rest of Georgian cuisine.