Best Lobio: Georgian Bean Stew with Walnuts
Lobio is a traditional Georgian bean stew with walnuts, herbs, and fragrant spices, often served with mchadi cornbread.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 438kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried beans 2 cups cooked or canned dark red kidney beans
- 1 cup walnuts coarsely chopped and lightly roasted
- 1 onion medium, finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper or ½ teaspoon chili flakes for a spicier version
- 1 tablespoon dried marigold petals optional, or substitute with ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses optional, for sweet-and-sour balance
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Soak dried beans overnight. Drain, rinse, and place in a large pot with 3–4 cups of fresh water per 1 cup of dried beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 1–1½ hours. Drain the beans, reserving up to 1 cup of the cooking liquid to use later in the stew.1 cup dried beans
- If using canned beans, simply drain and rinse.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot or skillet over medium heat. Add the onion with ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until soft and golden, 8–10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ground coriander and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.1 onion, 2-3 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- Add about half of the beans to the pot. Mash the beans with a potato masher until mostly crushed. Stir in the remaining beans, the roasted walnuts, and 1 cup water (or reserved cooking liquid). Mix to combine.1 cup walnuts
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until thick and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. If it gets too thick, add a splash of cooking liquid that the beans were cooked or more water.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, pomagranate molases and marigold petals. Taste and adjust seasonings with more salt and pepper, or vinegar if needed. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro before serving.1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon dried marigold petals, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, ½ cup fresh cilantro
Notes
Lobio is usually served in clay pots, warm and fragrant, surrounded by small side dishes called pkhali (vegetable and walnut spreads) and plates of pickled vegetables.
Nutrition
Serving: 150g | Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 836mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 144IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 4mg