Tomato-y Spiced Cranberry Beans

Recipe 10 minPreparation Time 1 hour 30 minCooking Time
Tomato-y Spiced Cranberry Beans

Tomato-y Spiced Cranberry Beans

10 minPreparation Time 1 hour 30 min Cooking Time

About this Recipe

These cranberry beans are a riff on chef Ana Sortun’s version of the mezze plaki with stewed tomatoes and cinnamon, from her book Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean. Instead of peeled fresh tomatoes, use good canned or jarred tomatoes. Toasted coriander and cumin replace the cinnamon, and jalapeño stands in for bell pepper, so it has a little kick. But the dried mint remains, because it tastes brilliant and complements the pop of cooling flavor from the coriander seeds. And, as Sortun notes, these make a complete protein served with rice and yogurt.

The Benefits

Cranberry beans are notable for their very high content of vitamin B complex — nearly all vitamins of this group are in here. Besides that, they have lots of soluble fiber, minerals, and antioxidants.

Ingredients

Serves 8
  • 2 cups (400 g) dried cranberry beans
  • 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
  • 1 heaping teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 small carrot, finely diced
  • 1 jalapeño, finely diced
  • 1 can (24 oz / 795 g) whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp (16 g) tomato paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp dried mint
  • chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. Step 1
    Soak the dried cranberry beans in plenty of water for several hours or overnight. Drain the beans and put them in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Cover them completely with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer the beans until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  2. Step 2
    Clean your pot and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the coriander and cumin seeds and toast lightly, stirring, so that they release their fragrant oils, about 30 seconds. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the carrot and jalapeño and cook until they began to soften, about 5 minutes.
  3. Step 3
    Lower the heat to medium. Add the tomatoes with their juice, crushing the tomatoes with your hand or a wooden spoon. Add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce has thickened and the vegetables have softened, about 20 minutes. Add the salt and several grinds of black pepper. Stir in the cooked beans and cook until they’re heated through and well coated and glossy with tomato sauce, about 10 minutes. Add the dried mint, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Serve, warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with a little chopped parsley for garnish, if desired. Leftover beans will keep, in a covered container, in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for 1 month.

Photo by Jeni Afuso

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