Loubia - A Spiced Moroccan Tomato and Bean Soup
 
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Level: Easy
Cuisine: Moroccan
Serves: 6
Prep time:
Cook time:
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A simple Moroccan bean dish stewed with tomatoes and spices, loubia is perfect for vegetarians but hearty enough to satisfy the hungriest of meat eaters.
Ingredients
  • 2 cups of dried cannellini beans
  • 4 tbl. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 large tomatoes, grated
  • 1 tbl. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbl chopped fresh parsley
  • 4 cups of water
  • 2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 3 carrots, cut into disks (optional)
  • 1 tsp. ginger powder
  • ½ tsp. cayenne (or more to taste)
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Soak beans overnight and drain them when you are ready to prepare the dish.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium.
  3. Once hot, add the onion and cook until tender (5-10 mins).
  4. Turn the heat down to low, add in the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes more.
  5. Add in the garlic and the spices, stir well and cook until fragrant, approximately 5 more minutes.
  6. Add in the water and carrots (if using), mix well, bring to a soft boil and then add the beans.
  7. Cook the beans until they are tender, stirring occasionally and adding a little water as necessary to make sure the beans stay covered.
  8. Once the beans are tender, add salt and pepper to taste and continue cooking until the sauce thickens.
  9. Once thickened, taste again for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
  10. Serve hot with crusty bread.
Notes
This recipe makes for a fairly mild dish, but feel free to add more cayenne to adjust the level of spice to your personal taste. While we like to eat loubia as a main, it's equally satisfying as a side and can be served at room temperature as part of a Moroccan "salad" course.