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loubia- in a pan topped with fresh herbs next to it some homemade naan.

Loubia- Morrocan White Bean Stew (Stovetop + Instant Pot)

Author: Katie
This Moroccan Bean Stew is a delicious vegetarian dish that's ready in 30 minutes. Loubia can either be made on the stovetop or in an instant pot.
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4.91 from 30 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: African
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion ,finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic ,finely chopped
  • 4 ripe tomatoes ,chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika powder (optional)
  • teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • dash of salt & black pepper

Conventional Pot

  • 1 can (15oz) canned white beans (Cannellini, Navy, Great Northern)
  • 1 cup veggie broth

Instant Pot

  • ¾ cup dry white beans (Cannellini, Navy, Great Northern)
  • 1 ½ - 2 cups veggie broth
You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.

Instructions

Conventional Pot (Stove Top)

  • Heat olive oil in a large pot or pan over medium heat.
  • Add onion and garlic and fry while constantly stirring until onion is translucent.
  • Add fresh tomatoes and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until tomatoes are soft.
  • Add the spices (paprika, smoked paprika, ground cumin, turmeric, salt & black pepper) and cook for another minute for the spices to release their flavors.
  • Once the tomatoes are really soft, add the veggie broth, tomato paste and drained canned beans.
  • Let the mix simmer for another 5-10 minutes until the stew starts to thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • Top with fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley) and enjoy with some pita or naan bread.

Instant Pot

  • Start by soaking the dry white beans in water overnight. Cover them with water by 2 inches.
  • Set your instant pot on sauté mode. Add olive oil, onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until onion is soft and translucent.
  • Add fresh tomatoes and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until tomatoes are soft.
  • Add the spices (paprika, smoked paprika, ground cumin, turmeric, salt & black pepper) and cook for another minute for the spices to release their flavors.
  • Once the tomatoes are soft, add the veggie broth, tomato paste and drained soaked beans.
  • Secure the lid, set the instant pot on high and pressure cook for 17 minutes (don't forget to turn the pressure release handle into "sealing position").
  • Once the time is up, let natural release for 15 minutes (simply leave the pressure release switch in the sealed position when the cook time ends for another 15 minutes).
  • Then quick release by moving the release handle into “venting position”.
  • You should now be left with soft beans in a thick sauce. If the sauce is still quite watery, press saute mode again and let simmer until the sauce thickens.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • Top with fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley) and enjoy with some pita or naan bread.

Video

Notes

  • Type of beans: Don't choose small beans or you'll end up with overcooked beans. The cooking time and liquid works perfectly for slightly "bigger" beans such as Cannellini, Navy or Great Northern beans. It's also important to not skip the soaking, otherwise, cooking time will be much longer.
  • Cooking time: If the beans don't seem fully cooked and soft, simply seal the lid again and cook for 5 minutes longer.  You can repeat this process until the beans are cooked to your desired amount.
  • Quick-release: I usually use a knife or something similar so that I don’t need to touch the handle with my fingers and risk burning from the hot steam. Then carefully open the lid. 
  • Optional Add-Ins: Crumbled feta, scoop of natural yogurt, chili flakes
  • Storage: Refrigerate left-overs in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Gently reheat on low heat on the stovetop of in the instant pot. Freeze in a freezer-friendly container for up to 1 month.
  • Nutritional facts were calculated without the bread.

Nutrition

Serving: 1. | Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 825mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2924IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.
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