Welcome to day 5 of 10 naturally vegan series. Yesterday, I shared Gobi Manchurian, an Indo-Chinese appetizer. Click here to check it out! On day five, we travel to Georgia for Lobio.
Lobio is a dish of various kinds of beans. The word Lobio is Georgian for "beans." What makes this dish stand out is the herbs and spices. Lobio varies from region to region; every household makes it differently.
This stew is delightful and hearty. The traditional way to make Lobio requires making the beans from scratch, soaking the dry beans overnight, and cooking them until they are tender.
The crucial part of this dish is the herbs. I believe in using the number of herbs any recipe calls for; it may sound like a lot–2 cups of cilantro, but it is for a reason, trust me.
Traditionally, Lobio calls for any kind of red bean. Walnuts are a must for Lobio. I love the combination of beans and walnuts. The combination provides a hearty texture resembling ground beef which is plant-based gold!
The spices required for this dish are ones I don’t usually work with– dill weed, marjoram, and coriander. But this completed the stew. Marjoram’s sweet taste blends well with the anise taste from the dill weed. With the cilantro, these spices give the dish a sweet and herbaceous flavor.
Commonly Lobio is served with Mchadi, Georgian cornbread, and marinated vegetables. I served it with olive oil bread. It was so flavorful and comforting—a perfect stew for colder days.
Recipe from Lavender and Macarons
We’re halfway through the series! What dish has been your favorite so far?
See you tomorrow for day 6!