Lobio Recipe: A Vegan Georgian Bean Stew

Lobio is one of Georgia's most famous and well-loved dishes which just happens to be vegan! Follow this simple recipe to find out how to make your own.

Lobio is one of Georgia’s most common as well as one of their most delectable dishes and is served across the Caucasus region for all meals of the day.

For a relatively simple dish with a straightforward list of ingredients, lobio packs a lot of flavor while being 100 percent vegan! All you need are beans, onion, nuts, garlic, and cilantro.

It can be served on its own or as part of a larger meal and is traditionally eaten with cornbread and cheese, which you can either skip to keep it vegan or use your favorite vegan cheese alternative.

How to Make Lobio: The Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried kidney beans (or 2 cans if you can’t use dried ones)
• 1 cup dried white beans (or 2 cans if you can’t use dried ones)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 cup walnuts, crushed
• 2 tbsp. tomato purée
• Spices:
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder, or Hmeli Suneli if you have it for a really authentic Georgian taste!
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Rinse the beans and cover them with a few inches of cold water in a bowl and soak overnight. If using canned beans, cook them for 20 mins in water and skip to step 4.
2. Drain the soaked beans and rinse before placing them in a medium saucepan.
3. Cover the beans with water, add the bay leaf, and bring the beans to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 1-2 hours under a slightly opened lid until the beans are tender.
4. Drain the beans again, removing the bay leaf, but this time hold onto the liquid and roughly mash half of the beans. Set aside.
5. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan over moderate heat and cook the onion until soft. 
6. Add the garlic and walnuts, beans, tomato paste, and spices. Stir well.
7. Add some reserved water little by little until you have a thick, stew consistency and simmer for a few more minutes on low heat. 

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Serve the traditional homemade lobio with some healthy spelt bread, a gluten-free buckwheat bread, or a 5 minute sweet potato. To get even closer to the original, try this homemade southern cornbread recipe or this vegan grilled cornbread.

Read more:

• How to Cook Dried Beans
• Pasta Water: The Secret Ingredient to Amazing Sauces
• Wild Garlic Pizza: Easy Vegan Recipe

Tags: Guide recipe Vegan