Georgian Lobio Red Bean Stew

About This Recipe

Lobio is one of Georgia's most common home-cooked dishes, a thick, deeply savory stew of red kidney beans simmered with onion, tomato and a generous handful of ground walnuts, which give the stew both richness and body without needing meat. It's served at every level of Georgian cooking, from simple family dinners to elaborate supra feasts, always with fresh herbs and pickles on the side. The walnuts are what separate lobio from a plain bean stew found elsewhere — ground into a coarse paste and stirred in toward the end, they thicken the sauce and add a distinctly nutty, slightly bitter depth that's characteristic of Georgian cooking more broadly. Coriander seed, ground fresh, and a pinch of dried marigold (imeretian saffron) round out the spicing, giving the stew its warm, earthy aroma. A long, slow simmer is essential: the beans need real time to soften fully and absorb the tomato and walnut flavors, and rushing this step leaves the stew tasting thin. Lobio is traditionally eaten with mchadi, Georgian cornbread, scooping up the thick stew, or spooned generously over rice.

Ingredients

Serves 5

• 2.5 cupsdried red kidney beans(soaked overnight)
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 2onions(finely chopped)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3tomatoes(chopped, or 1 cup crushed tomatoes)
• 1 cupwalnuts(ground into a coarse paste)
• 1 tbspcoriander seeds(ground)
• 0.5 tspdried marigold petals (imeretian saffron)(optional)
• 1 tspdried fenugreek (utskho suneli)
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 cupchopped cilantro
• 0.25 cuppomegranate seeds(for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the beans

   Simmer soaked beans in fresh water until fully tender, about 50 minutes, keeping about 2 cups of the cooking liquid when draining.

2. 2

   Build the base

   Heat oil and cook onions until deeply golden, about 10 minutes, then add garlic and tomatoes, simmering 10 minutes until thickened.

3. 3

   Combine

   Add the cooked beans and about a cup of the reserved cooking liquid to the tomato base. Stir in ground walnuts, coriander, marigold and fenugreek.

   Add the walnut paste gradually, stirring well, so it thickens the stew evenly instead of clumping.

4. 4

   Simmer to thicken

   Simmer uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and cohesive. Season with salt to taste.

5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Stir in most of the cilantro, reserving some for garnish. Serve hot, topped with pomegranate seeds and remaining cilantro.

Variations

• •

  Add a spoonful of ajika, Georgia's fiery pepper paste, for a spicier version.

• •

  Use canned kidney beans for a much faster version, reducing overall time to about 30 minutes.

• •

  Serve lobio in individual clay pots (ketsi) with mchadi cornbread on the side for a traditional presentation.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days; the flavor improves the next day. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water, since it thickens considerably once chilled.

Frequently Asked Questions