I had various bags with a cup here and a 1/2 cup there of pulses left in them, and this seemed like a good idea as a means to do a pantry clear out. You can also buy bags of mixed beans for 10-bean soup or make your own combination when you clear out your pantry. The number 12 is a random combination not a necessity.
I was craving the flavors of Mapo Tofu so translated them to a bean dish related to chili instead. My version was vegetarian, but I did brown some ground pork and add it to L.'s version.
This will make my usual recipe for dinner for 4 and an additional 6 portions for the freezer.
5 cups assorted beans
1 can crushed tomatoes in juice
2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp Szechuan peppercorns, ground to a powder
2 Tbsps Gochujang paste
2 tsps ground fresh ginger
! Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsps olive oil
1 large shallot, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
The night before you plan on making this, tip the beans into a large bowl and cover with water. The next morning all of the water will have been absorbed so rinse the beans well and cover with water again until needed. If you forget to do this step, cover with beans with boiling water and let sit for 90 minutes before rinsing and covering with water again until needed.
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until the onions are starting to become translucent and tender, a couple of minutes.
Add the Szechuan peppercorn powder and the Gochujang paste and stir to combine. Add the beans and stir again to distribute the aromatics throughout the beans.
Pour in the tomatoes, juice and all and add the water. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook over low for one hour. Check for liquid (add more if the dish looks dry) and salt to taste. Cook for another 30 minutes to an hour depending on the size and age of your oldest beans. The dish is done when your largest beans are tender.
While the beans are cooking, chop the shallot and cover with the red wine vinegar. Set aside until you are ready to serve your dish. Drain the vinegar from the shallots and place a spoonful of the now pickled and colorful shallots on the top of each dish.
#soupsstewsandbroths #vegetarian (omit the Worcestershire sauce)
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