Soak dried beans in water overnight and add the salt only at the end. That way the beans soften evenly and don't split.

1 hr 30 minprep 10 min · cooking 1 hr 20 min
4 servingsLunch
Mediumdifficulty
470 kcalper serving

Ingredients

  • 400 gdried white beans, soaked overnight in cold water
  • 1 lcold water for the first boil
  • 1 lhot water for simmering
  • 1carrot (about 100 g), sliced into rounds
  • 4 tbspvegetable oil
  • 2onions (about 200 g), finely chopped
  • 1 tbsptomato purée
  • 1 tspground dried red pepper (paprika)
  • 1 tspdried spearmint
  • to tastesalt

You will need: a 3–4 l pot, a 24 cm frying pan

Method

  1. Boil the beans

    Drain the soaked beans and put them in the pot with 1 l of cold water. Bring to the boil over a high heat and boil for 5 minutes, until grey foam rises. Pour the water away, because it holds what sits heavy on the stomach.

    bean stew — Boil the beans

  2. Simmer the beans

    Return the beans to the pot, cover with 1 l of hot water and add the sliced carrot. Turn the heat down low and simmer for 50 minutes, until a bean mashes easily between two fingers but still holds its shape. Don't salt it now, or the skins will toughen.

    If the water runs low, top it up with hot water. Cold water stops the beans softening.

    bean stew — Simmer the beans

  3. Fry the onions

    Put 4 tbsp of oil and the 2 finely chopped onions in the frying pan. Stir over a medium heat for 8 minutes, until translucent and lightly golden at the edges.

    bean stew — Fry the onions

  4. Add the paprika

    Take the pan off the hob and stir in 1 tbsp of tomato purée and 1 tsp of paprika. Stir for 20 seconds, until the oil turns red. Paprika burns in a moment and turns bitter, so add it off the heat.

    bean stew — Add the paprika

  5. Bring the stew together

    Tip the fried onion mix into the pot with the beans and add 1 tsp of dried spearmint. Add salt to taste and simmer for 15 minutes over a low heat. The stew is ready when the sauce is as thick as loose porridge and no water collects at the edge.

    bean stew — Bring the stew together

  6. Let it rest

    Take the pot off the heat, cover it and leave it for 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken a little more and the spearmint flavour will mellow.

    bean stew — Let it rest

How to serve

Serve in deep bowls with a slice of fresh bread and pickles or sliced raw onion on the side.

How to store

In a tightly closed container, it keeps in the fridge for 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat over a low heat with 2–3 tbsp of water, because stew thickens as it stands.

What you can use instead

  • Instead of dried beans, use 800 g of tinned beans, well rinsed. Grate the carrot into the fried onions, add 400 ml of water and simmer the stew for 15 minutes.
  • If you have no tomato purée, use 1 ripe tomato (about 150 g), grated. Fry it with the onions for another 3 minutes.

Questions and answers

Why won't my beans soften, however long I cook them?

Most often the beans are old or were salted too early. Simmer them for another 20 minutes over a low heat and add salt only once they are soft.

Can I cook beans without soaking?

You can, but cooking takes about 30 minutes longer. It is better to soak them for at least 8 hours, as they then soften more evenly.

My stew is too thick. How do I thin it?

Add 100 ml of hot water at a time and let it simmer for another 2 minutes. Don't add cold water, because the sauce will split.

Is bean stew suitable for children?

Yes, if you use sweet paprika, not hot. Before serving, mash a few of the beans so it is softer to eat.

Did you know?

Bean stew is a meat-free dish and is often cooked on fasting days, including Christmas Eve.

Per serving (approx.): 470 kcal · protein 21 g · fat 13 g · carbohydrates 67 g