This spiced-bean and vegetable dish was born out of a pantry and refrigerator cleanout session. Of course, it was also because of me wanting to make a quick dinner. I had a random selection of vegetables sitting around in the refrigerator – half of a tomato, two sticks of carrots, quarter of a red bell pepper, and three radishes – and I wasn’t sure what to do with them. I suppose I could make a salad by adding some leafy greens, but I wasn’t in the mood for a salad dinner. What saved the day was the canned beans in my pantry. I got a can of black beans and two cans of butter beans, an interesting combination of beans I thought. Now I was thinking about how to make these beans tasty.
Salt and pepper would probably be okay, but they sound a bit boring. Fennel seeds and oregano should work but I wanted to switch it up a bit. I stared at my spice rack for a minute and finally decided to use smoked paprika. With paprika, adding a little more fat in the cooking would help release the flavor so a little bit of chopped pancetta is in order. To kick it up a notch, some ground cumin will do the magic. The amount of cumin needed would be just enough that you won’t even taste it, but it adds so much depth to the beans. If you have a couple cans of beans lying around and some random vegetables sitting in your fridge, make these spiced-beans and you will have a quick and easy dinner!
Spiced Beans with Vegetables Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped pancetta
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 hot pepper, sliced
- 1 cup carrots cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 cans butter beans, drained
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/3 cup diced radishes
Method:
- In a medium pot, heat up the olive oil and add the pancetta to the pot. Render the fat from the pancetta until the pancetta is slightly crispy.
- Add the garlic, hot pepper and carrots. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the smoked paprika and ground cumin. Let the spices infuse for about 10 seconds. Do not burn the spices.
- Add the tomatoes, beans and water. Combine well and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add the red bell pepper and radishes. Cook for 5 minutes.
If you like beans, check out this Tomato Chickpea Stew recipe on the blog.