This recipe for stewed beans with manchego cheese uses scarlet runner beans, but any larger dry bean will work well here.
Topped with crispy roasted mushrooms and shaved manchego cheese, this recipe is simple to prepare but you will need to soak the beans the night before or the morning before cooking.
You only need a handful of ingredients, and we let dry thyme and smoked paprika do the heavy lifting in this stewed bean recipe. We took a lot of guidance from the back of the Rancho Gordo scarlet runner beans bag which suggested plenty of garlic and mushrooms for these beans.
The Beans:
We use scarlet runner beans, an heirloom been you can buy from Rancho Gordo. But, depending on what’s available at your store, you can get creative with this dish. Opt for a larger, creamier been variety like:
- Great northern beans
- Kidney beans
- Cranberry beans
- Lima beans
You could even try this with chickpeas or cannellini beans.
How to make our stewed beans with manchego cheese:
There are a few key components to this dish.
First, the beans. Soak them the night before in a big pot of water.
Next, the spices and aromatics. Use onion, garlic, celery (with the leaves!), dry thyme, smoked paprika, and a touch of crushed red pepper.
Lastly, the roasted mushroom topping. Now, you can cook the mushrooms right in the stew but we can’t resist that the crisped up, lightly caramelized edges of oyster mushrooms, so we pan-fried them at the end of cooking. Plus, who can say no to extra butter on their stew?
To finish the dish, scatter some fresh parsley and more chopped celery leaves on top along with some shaved manchego cheese. Spoon those hot pan-fried mushrooms on top and you’re ready to eat!
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Stewed Beans with Manchego Cheese
Equipment
- Large pot
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dry scarlet runner beans
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil divided
- 1 yellow onion peeled and diced
- 4 ribs of celery with leaves trimmed and thinly sliced; leaves roughly chopped
- 8 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 6-7 cups vegetable stock more as needed
- 8 ounces mushrooms of your choice sliced or chopped, such as shiitake, cremini, or oyster
- Salt and pepper to taste
For garnish:
- Chopped celery leaves
- Chopped parsley
- Manchego cheese or try this with shaved Parmesan or crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
Soak the beans:
- Pour the beans into a large pot and cover with water. Cover and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse and set aside.
Cook the aromatics:
- Wipe out the pot used to soak the beans. Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and celery and cook for 7-8 minutes until they just begin to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook for 45 seconds until fragrant.
Bloom the spices:
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter into the aromatics. Add the thyme, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper and cook for 45 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the dry beans and toss to coat—season with salt and pepper. Start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt to start and add more as desired. The stock will reduce and become saltier as it cooks.
Simmer the stew:
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour until the beans are tender. Taste and season again to your preferences. Add more stock as necessary if the liquid evaporates too quickly.
Cook the mushrooms:
- Once the beans are tender, cook the mushrooms. Heat the remaining avocado oil and the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is frothy, add the mushrooms and cook, occasionally flipping, for 8-12 minutes until they turn golden brown and crisp up around the edges. Season lightly with salt.
To serve:
- Divide the stew between bowls and garnish with celery leaves, parsley, and shaved manchego. Spoon the mushrooms on top of each dish. Enjoy!
This sounds so good. I have a bag of Scarlet runner beans from Rancho Gordo so this is perfect. One question just to clarify. There is no mention of removing the beans from the boiling liquid and in the photo you also show some liquid in the bottom of the plate, so I’m guessing the 6-7 cups of vegetable stocks reduces heavily during that one hour cook time? When reading through the recipe it sounds more like it will end up as a soup but the headline says stewed and the photo shows only a bit of liquid. I would appreciate if you would clarify. Thanks in advance. I’m excited to try this recipe.
Hey, thanks for your question! The broth will reduce as it cooks. 16 ounces of dry beans makes a LOT of beans once they rehydrate, so while 6–7 cups liquid may seem like a lot on paper, it’s really not that much once it’s all together in the pot. It will definitely be more of a stewy consistency, though if you like it even thicker you can start with 5–6 cups liquid and mash some of the beans. It’s a pretty versatile recipe that can be suited to your tastes 🙂