Hello everyone, me again!
I’ve decided to move my Feeling Myshelf series to be in a different post to the regular newsletter. This will allow me to keep a really strong main newsletter theme going, without being restricted by the ingredients available in the cupboard.
For those who don’t know, Feeling Myshelf is a series where I give you a recipe for a vibrant, delicious meal that uses majority store cupboard ingredients (and only 3 fresh ones).
This recipe will always be available for free, but if you like cooking my recipes and reading my work, then upgrading to a paid subscription would be really appreciated. My paid subscribers’ support enables me to keep writing this newsletter, and for that I am so grateful.
Anyway, without further ado, here is the recipe.
Sophie x
The Recipe
Feeling Myshelf Episode 11 - Kidney Bean and Walnut Stew
I went on holiday to Georgia back in 2019, and it is probably one of my favourite trips I’ve ever been on. Putting aside the fact that we almost died getting struck my lightening on the side of a mountain in a storm (a story for another day), everything was perfect. Gorgeous weather and people, beautiful landscapes and vibrant cities, and crucially very good food.
The food is packed with garlic, walnuts and herbs (lots of tarragon, dill and parsley), as well as spices like ground coriander and fenugreek. Lobio is a bean stew that is simply made with these kinds of ingredients, but is packed with so much flavour. This dish is very much inspired by that.
Serves 2
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground fenugreek
1 tbsp tomato puree
70g walnuts
560g jar of kidney beans
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar
1 dried bay leaf
Handful of fresh parsley
salt and olive oil
Peel and finely dice your onion.
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan over a medium heat, then add your onion. Cook for 15 minutes, until softened and just starting to take on colour.
Grate your garlic into the pan, then add your ground coriander, fenugreek and tomato puree. Cook for 2 minutes.
Drain your kidney beans, then pour them into the pan. Mash about ⅓ of them with a potato masher.
Finely chop 50g of your walnuts and get those in there too, along with 200ml water, your pomegranate molasses and bay leaf, and bring up to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes until thickened.
Roughly chop your remaining 20g walnuts, along with your parsley. Add these to a bowl and add 4 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Give it a mix.
Once your stew is thick, season it to taste with salt. Spoon it into bowls, and top with your herby walnut mixture. Serve it up.