My take on lobio – the sweet-sour Georgian kidney bean and walnut stew – is made with canned beans and common pantry staples.
I’ve been a fan of beans pretty much my entire life. When we were growing up, my mom made bean soups and salads regularly. And when I moved out and started eating primarily vegetarian, beans and other legumes – lentils, chickpeas, etc. – really took center stage since they’re great sources of protein and iron (i.e. often nutrients of concern for non-meat eaters).
For a long time, I stuck to simple things like sautéing chickpeas and putting them on literally everything, and adding beans to pasta. Then when that got boring, I started looking to global cuisines for bean inspo.
Beans and legumes have sustained entire populations for, like, ever – think cuisines from Northern Africa, India, and Latin America, to name a few. That’s what brings us to lobio, a traditional Georgian kidney bean and walnut stew. I don’t know a ton about this Southwest Asian cuisine, but when I tried lobio in a Georgian restaurant here in Brooklyn, I immediately knew they were some of the most delicious beans I’d ever had. After a bit of research, I developed this version.
What is Lobio
Lobio (pronounced LO-be-oh) is a Georgian kidney bean and walnut stew. It has a sweet-and-sour flavor and the texture of saucy refried beans. (Or you can think of it as a less-runny chili.) The main flavorings are onion, garlic, and cilantro, as well as khmeli suneli (a Georgian seasoning blend) and pomegranate molasses; I’ve substituted the latter two with ingredients more common to the American pantry.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- Onion + Garlic: Create the foundational layer of flavor.
- Ground Coriander: A prominent flavoring for this stew – i.e. what I use in place of the traditional khmeli suneli.
- Bay Leaf: Adds an earthy taste. Feel free to skip if you don’t have it.
- Canned Kidney Beans: Traditional lobio is made with dried beans cooked from scratch. For speed and ease, mine uses canned beans.
- Walnuts: Add texture, richness, and nuttiness. If you have a nut allergy, try subbing with sunflower seeds.
- Balsamic Vinegar + Maple Syrup: Lobio usually relies on pomegranate molasses for its signature balance of sweet and tangy. Since this isn’t a super common ingredient yet, I use these two for a similar result.
- Tomato Paste: Adds depth.
- Cilantro: The more, the better, my friends! If you’re a cilantro-hater, sub with parsley.
How to Make Lobio
Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Sauté the Aromatics
Cook the diced onions in a high-sided pan until they’re soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Then add the garlic, coriander, and bay leaf, and cook for just 30 seconds more to avoid burning them.
Step 2: Mash the Beans
Next, add about half of the beans and crush them with a potato masher until they’re mostly broken down. These mushy beans will thicken the stew.
Step 3: Simmer the Beans
Then add the rest of the [whole] beans, as well as the walnuts, balsamic, tomato paste, maple syrup, and some water. Cover with a lid and simmer gently until the stew is thick and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
The fragrant bean-walnut stew would typically be served as part of a bigger feast with grilled meats, vegetables, flatbreads, etc. As for me, I can honestly eat a big bowl of lobio by itself as a vegan main course (kinda like chili). It’s also great on toast, with roasted potatoes or roasted carrots with tahini, or with pan-fried zucchini or purple cabbage slaw.
More Ways with Beans…
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag @thenewbaguette on Instagram with your creation.
The Full Recipe
Lobio (Georgian Bean Stew)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Georgian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
My take on lobio – the sweet-sour Georgian kidney bean and walnut stew – is made with canned beans and pantry staples.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander (or khmeli suneli if you have it)
- 1 dried bay leaf
- Two 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed* (see note below)
- 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon maple or date syrup*
- Cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until soft and golden, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons coriander, and 1 bay leaf, and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Add about half of the beans and crush them with a potato masher until most of them are smashed. Then add the remaining beans, as well as the walnuts, 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, and 1 cup water, and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and turn the heat down to low. Simmer until thick and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. If it gets too thick, add a splash more water during cooking.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.
Notes
- If using home-cooked beans, you’ll need 3 cups beans. Instead of plain water in step 3, use the bean-cooking water.
- If you don’t have either syrup, use brown or raw sugar instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe
- Calories: 235
- Fat: 11.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.5 g
- Fiber: 8.8 g
- Protein: 10.2 g
Larry Crider says
I made this tonight and it was excellent. I added some steamed okra and some veggie stock. I was short on beans so I threw in a handful of red football lentils. Topped with pickled red onion. Will send recipe to my granddaughters.
Alexandra Shytsman says
Hi Larry! So glad this recipe worked out for you. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Tami says
These beans were so good! I was skeptical about the walnuts at first, but they really do work in this dish. Thank you
Alexandra Shytsman says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!