Creamy Cumin and Nigella Butterbeans

Prep Time: 15 Mins

Cook Time: 70 Mins

Total Time: 85 mins

Serves: 4-6

When you cook down white beans low and slow in water, their starches release and you get a lovely creamy consistency. I like to provide you with options depending on how much time or kitchen tools you have, so although my preference is to pressure cook white beans with my instant pot, you can also soak and cook on the stove or simply use canned beans when in a pinch. The fragrant cumin and nigella beans complement the roasted vegetables so nicely to make a one-bowl balanced vegan dinner.     

Ingredients

Butterbeans

1.5 cups dried butterbeans, rinsed

1 onion

2-3 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

Roasted Vegetables

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

2 bell peppers, cut into large pieces

1 red onion, cut into quarters

1 medium sweet potato

2 medium all-purpose potatoes

Butterbean Simmer

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon nigella seeds

Salt and pepper

2 avocados, sliced

Mint and cilantro on top

Directions

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1. A few options for the white beans, from most time to least.

   1. Stovetop: Soak the beans for at least 8 to 24 hours. Drain the water, add the beans to a pot with enough water to cover by 2-3 inches, and add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately lower heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for about an hour or until they are tender. The older the beans, the longer it takes to cook. Once cooked, discard the onions, garlic, and bay leaf.

   2. Pressure cooker: you can skip the soak time (or if you soak them, you will probably only need 30 mins of cook time). Add the beans, 5 cups of water, the onion, garlic, bay leaf, and salt to the pot. Pressure cook on high for 50 minutes with a natural release of at least 10 minutes. If they are still too hard, pressure cook for an additional 10 minutes. Once cooked, discard the onions, garlic, and bay leaf.

   3. Canned beans: 2 400g cans of white beans and start the recipe at step 2.

2. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). On a lined baking tray, toss the cauliflower, peppers, and onions with ½ tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper. On another tray, toss the potato wedges with ½ tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake the cauliflower and peppers for 30-40 minutes and the potatoes for 40-50 minutes, until nicely charred at the edges.

3. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet with raised edges over medium heat. Add the onions and cumin seeds and cook until translucent but not getting any colour. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add the white beans and their water to the pan. Simmer on low heat until most of the water is absorbed and what remains is starchy and creamy for about 10-15 minutes. They will continue to dry up as it cools, so leave a bit more water than you would want as the final result. Add the nigella seeds.

4. To serve, ladle the creamy beans into each bowl and top with the roasted vegetables, some fresh mint and cilantro, and avocado slices.

• Storing Tips

  Leftovers keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

• Nutrition

  Per 1 serving (4 total):

  Calories: 452

  Carbohydrates: 57g

  Protein: 13g

  Fat: 22g

  Saturated Fat: 3g

  Fiber: 17g

  Sugar: 12g