Mashed beans

Name: Mashed beans
Ingredients: 300 g. beans; one green onion; one green garlic stalk; 2 canned tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of the corresponding broth; parsley and dill; salt and pepper; olive oil

Sezon - Mashed beans by Virginia L. - Recipia

When I prepare mashed beans, I always start by soaking the beans the night before. Boiling in multiple waters requires a bit of patience, but the beans cook more evenly and mash more easily. In this version, the beans are not left plain: after being well boiled, they are mixed in a pan with green onion, green garlic, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, and dill. The result is a creamy mashed bean dish with a simple tomato sauce. Quick Info Total time: starts with overnight soaking; boiling time is not specified and depends on the type and age of the beans Preparation time: not specified in the original recipe Cooking time: until the beans mash easily Servings: not specified; the amount is 300 g of beans Difficulty: easy Recipe type: mashed beans Ingredients 300 g beans 1 green onion 1 green garlic stalk 2 canned tomatoes 2 tablespoons of the corresponding tomato paste Parsley Dill Salt Pepper Olive oil Preparation method 1. Soak the beans Wash the beans well and let them soak overnight in a sufficient amount of water. The next day, drain the soaking water and place the beans in fresh water to boil. 2. Boil the beans in multiple waters Once the water comes to a boil, strain the beans and discard the water. Put the beans back to boil, this time in another pot of hot water. Repeat the same operation two more times: after each boil, drain the beans and continue boiling them in fresh hot water. It is important that the next water is hot, not cold, so that the boiling continues without large interruptions. When you place the beans in the final water, add salt as well. Let them boil until the beans are very soft. The test is simple: a well-cooked bean should mash easily when pressed. 3. Mash the beans Strain the boiled beans, but keep the water in which they boiled. Do not throw it away, as it will be used to adjust the consistency. Mash and homogenize the beans, gradually adding a little of the boiling water and olive oil. Mix after each addition and stop when the beans reach the desired consistency. Add water little by little, as it is easier to thin the mixture than to fix one that is too liquid. 4. Prepare the sauce Clean and wash the green onion and green garlic, then chop them finely. In a pan, heat a little olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Let them soften slightly, without letting them burn. Add the canned tomatoes, the two tablespoons of tomato paste, parsley, and dill. Let the mixture cook for a few minutes until the ingredients combine and the tomatoes soften. 5. Mix the beans with the sauce Add the mashed beans to the pan and mix well with the tomato sauce and herbs. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper. The mashed beans can be left thicker or thinner, depending on how much boiling water you added when mashing. If necessary, you can add a little more liquid and mix again. Why I make this recipe often It is a practical variant of mashed beans, especially when I have dried beans on hand and want to use them in a simple dish. The tomato sauce changes the flavor compared to the classic version, and the green onion, green garlic, and herbs bring freshness without needing many ingredients. I also like that the texture can be easily adjusted with the boiling water. The beans can remain thicker for spreading or creamier if thinned gradually. Tips Soak the beans overnight before boiling. The beans will cook more easily, and the actual boiling time then depends on their type and age. Do not strictly adhere to a fixed cooking time, as the recipe does not provide one, and beans do not always boil the same. Check the beans: they are ready when they mash effortlessly. Keep the water from the last boil. It is more suitable for thinning the beans than plain water, as it already has the taste and starch from the beans. Add water gradually during mashing. If you add too much at once, the beans may become too soft. Salt is added in the final boiling water, according to the recipe. At the end, the taste is adjusted again after the beans have been mixed with the sauce. Substitutions The olive oil used for mashing the beans and sautéing the vegetables can be replaced with another oil, if that is what you have on hand. The amount is not specified in the original recipe, so it is added gradually, according to the desired texture and taste. If you do not have whole canned tomatoes, you can use whatever canned tomatoes you have, along with the two tablespoons of corresponding paste. However, keep the proportion in the recipe: two tomatoes and two tablespoons of paste. Variations You can adjust the consistency without changing the base composition. For thicker beans, use less boiling water. For a softer texture, add liquid gradually until it reaches the desired consistency. The amount of parsley and dill is not specified, so they can be added to taste. The herbs are added to the sauce before the beans, so their flavor distributes throughout the mixture. Serving ideas Mashed beans can be served as is, warm or after cooling slightly. It is suitable as a simple dish, but can also be spread on bread if the texture is thick enough. For a more uniform result, serve it after you have mixed the beans well with the tomato sauce. If you prefer to feel the pieces of tomato and herbs more clearly, mix less vigorously. Frequently asked questions 1. Why are the beans boiled in multiple waters? In this recipe, after each boil the water is discarded, and the beans are put back to boil in fresh hot water. This operation is repeated three times in total before the final boiling with salt. 2. How do I know when the beans are cooked enough? Take a bean and mash it. The beans are ready when the bean crushes easily. If it remains hard or has a firm center, it needs to be boiled longer. 3. Can I throw away the water in which the beans boiled? For this recipe, do not throw away the water from the last boil. It is kept and used gradually to thin the mashed beans. 4. How much olive oil should be used? The source of the recipe does not specify an exact amount. A little oil is used in the pan for the onion and garlic, and during mashing, it is added gradually, along with the boiling water, until the desired texture is reached. 5. Can the beans be made thicker? Yes. Add less water when mashing and mix well. If it turns out too thick later, you can adjust the consistency with a little boiling water. Nutritional values The values are estimates, as the amount of oil used and the number of servings are not specified. For the entire amount of the dish, the 300 g of dried beans provide approximately 1,000-1,100 kcal, 65-70 g of protein, and 175-185 g of carbohydrates, of which a significant part is represented by fiber. Tomatoes, onion, garlic, and herbs add a smaller amount of calories. The fats depend almost entirely on the olive oil: the dish can have about 10-15 g of fats if very little oil is used or over 30 g if more is added during mashing and in the pan. For a per-serving estimate, both the total amount of oil and the number of resulting servings would need to be known. For this reason, the values should not be considered exact. Storage and reheating Mashed beans are stored in the refrigerator in a closed container. Since the source does not specify an exact storage term, it is recommended to be consumed shortly and checked before serving. After cooling, the mixture can thicken. When reheating, mix and add a little boiling water, if you have any left, to bring the beans back to a creamier consistency. Keep the beans cold and only heat the amount you plan to serve.

Mashed beans

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