I have to admit, I was a little sceptical… Beans and rice didn’t sound like the most exciting combination to me. But after trying it, I was very pleasantly surprised!
No wonder arroz con frijoles – rice and beans – is such a favourite across the Spanish-speaking world. This stew turned out wonderfully comforting and hearty. Even my other half, who’s usually rather sceptical about bean dishes, tucked in and enjoyed it 🙂
Here’s how I made it.
Golden onions, mushrooms and a little porcini trick
I started by chopping two large onions and cooking them in a hot pan until they were lightly caramelised and golden. Give the onions time – a little magic happens while they quietly cook away. They lose their sharpness, their texture changes, and their natural sugars caramelise, turning them golden. Once the onions are golden, add the sliced chestnut mushrooms.
White button mushrooms would work just as well, and so would frozen wild mushrooms. If you have a dried porcini mushroom in the cupboard, I really recommend grating one straight into the pan – it adds a lovely woodland mushroom aroma.
I cooked the mushrooms for another 7–10 minutes, until the released liquid had evaporated and they were nicely browned. Mushrooms need time to cook properly too: letting all that liquid evaporate gives them a chance to brown and develop a deeper flavour.
Bringing the stroganoff together
Next, I added the drained canned beans. Butter beans, cannellini beans or even red kidney beans all work here, so use whichever you have to hand.
I seasoned everything with salt, freshly ground black pepper and dried oregano, then added a couple of generous spoonfuls of full-fat sour cream. I stirred it all together and let it simmer gently over a low heat for another 3–5 minutes so the flavours could come together.
What to serve with bean stroganoff
This stew is lovely with buckwheat or fluffy mashed potatoes, but this time I served it with basmati rice. I cooked it according to the packet instructions, then stirred through a little extra virgin olive oil and a handful of chopped fresh parsley.
I spooned the rice onto a plate and topped it with the hot bean and mushroom stroganoff. Such a good combination!
Bean and Mushroom Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 2 large onions
- 2 tbsp oil or butter for frying
- 300 g chestnut mushrooms or white button mushrooms / frozen wild mushrooms
- 1 dried porcini mushroom for grating, optional
- 1 can beans 400 g total can weight; butter beans, cannellini beans or red kidney beans; drained
- 2 tbsp full-fat sour cream heaped tablespoons, 30% fat
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Basmati rice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for the rice
- 1 handful fresh parsley chopped, for the rice
Instructions
- Chop the onions. Heat the oil or butter in a frying pan, add the onions and cook over a medium heat until lightly caramelised and golden.
- Slice the mushrooms and add them to the onions. Grate in the dried porcini mushroom, if using. Cook for 7–10 minutes, until the released liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms have browned.
- Add the drained beans and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Stir in the sour cream and simmer gently over a low heat for 3–5 minutes.
- Cook the basmati rice according to the packet instructions. Stir the olive oil and chopped parsley into the cooked rice.
- Spoon the rice onto plates and serve the hot bean and mushroom stroganoff alongside or on top.
Those who tried the recipe say…
We’re waiting for the first approved cooking experiences for this recipe. Yours could be the first!