Lobio: warm spiced red beans

Equipment

• Large pot
• sieve
• skillet
• wooden spoon
• ladle.

Before you begin

US cup = 240 ml; tablespoon = 15 ml; teaspoon = 5 ml. Use listed gram weights for consistency; weights are raw or dry unless described as cooked or drained.

• For a faster version, use 750 g / 26.5 oz drained canned kidney beans. Start with the onion step, add 300 ml / 10.1 fl oz fresh water and simmer 15-20 minutes before mashing. Canned beans are already cooked; they do not require the raw-bean safety boil.

Make it work

• For a faster version, use 750 g / 26.5 oz drained canned kidney beans. Begin with the onion step, add 300 ml / 10.1 fl oz water and simmer 15–20 minutes before mashing. Canned beans are already cooked.

Ingredients

• 300 g / 10.6 oz Dried red kidney beans
• 1500 ml, plus more as needed / 50.7 US fl oz Water, for cooking
• 150 g / 5.3 oz Onion, finely diced
• 30 ml / 1.0 US fl oz Neutral oil
• 2 cloves (about 6 g / 0.21 oz) Garlic, minced
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 tsp / about 2 g Ground coriander seed
• 1/2 tsp / about 1.85 g Ground blue fenugreek, optional
• 1/2 tsp / about 0.25 g Dried summer savory, optional
• 1 tsp, then adjust / about 6 g Fine salt
• 1/4 tsp, or to taste / about 0.25 g Chili flakes
• 15 ml, then adjust / 0.5 US fl oz Red wine vinegar
• 20 g / 0.7 oz Fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

Step-by-step method

1. Soak and discard the water
   Pick over the dry beans, rinse and cover with plenty of cold water in a large bowl. Soak 8-12 hours in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse well. Do not cook in the soaking water, taste uncooked beans or use a slow cooker for the initial cooking of raw kidney beans.
2. Boil properly before simmering
   Put beans and the measured fresh cooking water in a large pot. Bring to a full rolling boil and keep boiling for at least 30 minutes, adding boiling water if needed to keep the beans submerged. Then reduce to a simmer and add bay leaves. This initial boil is a safety step, not optional.
3. Cook until creamy inside
   Partially cover and simmer another 45-90 minutes, or longer for older beans. Test several beans: their centers must crush smoothly, with no chalky core. Add salt once nearly tender. Keep a little water above the beans; do not let the pot boil dry. Remove bay leaves.
4. Soften onion and bloom spices
   In a skillet, heat oil and cook onion over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes until soft. Add garlic, ground coriander, optional fenugreek, optional savory and chili. Stir for 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Garlic should smell fragrant without turning dark.
5. Mash part of the beans
   Reserve 400 ml / 13.5 fl oz cooking liquid, then drain only if the pot contains much more liquid. Return beans to the pot and mash about one-third against the side with a spoon. Add cooked onion and spices. Stir in enough reserved liquid to make a thick but spoonable mixture.
6. Simmer and finish
   Simmer gently 8-10 minutes, stirring along the bottom. Add vinegar and fresh coriander; taste for salt. Rest 5 minutes, adjusting with a little reserved liquid if it has thickened. Serve hot, ideally with cornbread and a fresh or pickled vegetable side.

Cook’s notes

For a faster version, use 750 g / 26.5 oz drained canned kidney beans. Begin with the onion step, add 300 ml / 10.1 fl oz water and simmer 15–20 minutes before mashing. Canned beans are already cooked.

Storage & reheating

• Refrigerate promptly in a shallow covered container at 4 C / 40 F or colder; use within 3 days.

Allergens

None of the major allergens as written.

Approximate nutrition

Per serving: 336 kcal · Protein 18 g · Carbohydrates 51 g · Fat 8 g.

Approximate per serving of the complete recipe. Brands, substitutions, cooking losses and portion sizes affect the figures.