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Whole red beans with walnuts

Georgian Lobio (Whole Red Beans with Walnuts)

Fill your home with the aromas and color of Georgia! After you make this Georgian lobio, the warm scent of spices lingers in the air, and the cilantro adds a fresh note. The deep red beans against bright green herbs are an appetite in themselves.

Nika

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Red beans

500

Onions

Apple cider vinegar

0.25

Khmeli-suneli

Dried oregano

Ground coriander

0.5

Paprika

0.5

Walnuts

0.3

Garlic

Tomato paste

Fresh cilantro

Parsley

Salt

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 25 % 6 g

Fats 25 % 6 g

Carbohydrates 50 % 12 g

115 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

Cover the beans with cold water and soak them overnight. Drain, transfer the beans to a deep pot, cover with fresh water, and set over the heat. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, lower the heat, cover, and simmer over medium heat until the beans are tender.
Step 2:

Dice the onions and lightly sauté them in vegetable oil.
Step 3:

When the beans are done, drain off the cooking liquid into a separate container (you'll use it later), then add the sautéed onion to the beans, season with salt, and stir.
Step 4:

Make the vinegar dressing for the lobio. Pour the apple cider vinegar into a small saucepan and add the spices: khmeli-suneli, oregano, coriander, and paprika. Stir, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes.
Step 5:

Grind the walnuts in a blender, add the pressed garlic, and mix.
Step 6:

To the beans with sautéed onion, add the tomato paste, the walnut-garlic mixture, the spiced vinegar dressing, and 1 cup of the reserved bean cooking liquid. Stir and cook 5 more minutes over medium heat. If the lobio seems dry, add more of the cooking liquid until it reaches the consistency you want.
Step 7:

Wash the cilantro and parsley, pat them dry, and finely chop.
Step 8:

Spoon the lobio onto a large platter, sprinkle with the chopped herbs, and serve.

How much cooking liquid you add is really up to you, since lobio can range in consistency. Georgian families make it everything from soupy, almost like a soup, to thick—I prefer the middle ground, with the beans in a thick sauce. Serve lobio with lavash, shoti bread, or mchadi (corn cakes). For extra color, garnish with pomegranate seeds. And of course, a glass of good Georgian wine never hurts.