Stewed Beans with Manchego Cheese

This recipe for stewed beans with manchego cheese is a rich, comforting bean stew topped with crispy mushrooms.

You only need a handful of ingredients, and we let dry thyme and smoked paprika do the heavy lifting in this stewed bean recipe.

The beans:

The first couple of times I made this dish, I used scarlet runner beans, an heirloom bean from Rancho Gordo. I’ve most recently made it with Rancho Gordo’s cassoulet bean. Personally, I prefer the creamy white beans, but if you want to try a recipe with scarlet runner beans, this one is absolutely delicious. Depending on what’s available at your store, you can get creative with the beans you use in this stew. Opt for a larger, creamier bean variety like:

• Great northern beans
• Cannellini
• Pinto beans

Chickpeas or kidney beans would also be fantastic in this. The soaking time will vary depending on the bean you choose.

You can, of course, opt for 3 to 4 cans of beans and skip the soaking process altogether.

How to soak the beans

When I make this dish, I like to soak the beans overnight. You can also do a quick soak, where you bring the beans to a boil, turn off the heat, cover and soak for at least one hour. This will speed up the process. I’ve also made this where I cook the beans fully before even beginning the recipe. I will soak the beans overnight and keep the beans simmering in the water for 2–3 hours until tender before beginning the recipe. This usually works for me since I work from home and can let them go on the stovetop as I finish my workday. Depending on how you soak the beans, the cooking time of the stew will vary. Here is a loose guideline:

• Overnight soak only: Simmer the stew for approximately 2 hours
• Quick soak as per the method above: Simmer the stew for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Cook beans fully: Simmer the stew for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Is this stew vegetarian?

Manchego has rennet in it. If you are a vegetarian who avoids cheeses with rennet, I recommend using a different cheese. You can use rennet-free Parmesan, shaved ricotta salata, or a handful of shredded mozzarella.

How to make these stewed beans with manchego cheese:

There are a few key components to this dish. You can get creative and add things depending on what you have in your crisper or pantry.

What you need

• Beans: Use your favorite variety here! Scarlet runner beans are delicious, but the creamy white beans are my favorite.
• Vegetables: You need just an onion, garlic, and celery for the stew aromatics. Be sure to save the celery leaves and mince them up with fresh parsley for garnish.
• Spices: I add plenty of dry thyme, smoked paprika, and a bit of sweet paprika to flavor the stew.
• Crispy mushroom topping: Use a variety of mushrooms or one type, depending on what you have. Cremini, oyster, maitake, or beech are lovely on this.
• Manchego: The flavor of manchego works perfectly in this stew, but try it with your favorite cheese. If you don’t have cheese, you could also add a scoop of sour cream or Greek yogurt to each bowl to give it a creamy finish.

How to make it

• Step 1: Soak the beans according to one of the above methods; use whichever one suits your schedule best!
• Step 2: Once the beans are ready, make the soup. Fry up the onion and celery, and then add the garlic.
• Step 3: Add the beans and then vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer as long as needed until the beans are nice and tender. Add salt periodically as it cooks. You may need to add more water or vegetable stock as the stew simmers.
• Step 4: Make the mushroom topping! Fry them up quickly and transfer them to a plate.
• Step 5: It’s time to serve it up! Ladle the hot stew into bowls and garnish with shaved manchego, minced parsley and celery leaves, and a spoonful of crispy mushrooms.

Next, the spices and aromatics. Use onion, garlic, celery (with the leaves!), dry thyme, smoked paprika, and a touch of crushed red pepper.

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Stewed Beans with Manchego Cheese

This recipe for stewed beans with manchego cheese uses scarlet runner beans, but any larger dry bean will work well here.

4.43 from 33 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Soaking time (Inactive): 8 hours hours

Total Time: 10 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 399kcal

Equipment

• Large pot
• Skillet

Ingredients

• 16 ounces dry beans, such as scarlet runner, cannellini, or your favorite large bean variety
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 4 ribs of celery with leaves, trimmed and thinly sliced; leaves minced and kept separate for garnish
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 teaspoons dry thyme
• 2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste
• 6-7 cups vegetable stock or water, plus more as needed
• 8 ounces mushrooms of your choice, sliced or torn, such as cremini, beech, oyster, or maitake
• Salt and pepper to taste

For garnish:

• ¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
• 3 ounces Manchego cheese shaved or grated

Instructions

Soak the beans:

• Pour the beans into a large pot and cover with water. Add 2 bay leaves. Cover and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse and set aside. See the cooking note below.

Cook the aromatics:

• Wipe out the pot used to soak the beans. Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and celery and cook for 7-8 minutes until they 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, sweet paprika, 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 teaspoon of salt to start and add more as desired. The stew will become saltier as it simmers.

Simmer the stew:

• Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 2 hours 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. Transfer to a plate.

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!

Notes

Soaking methods:

• Overnight soak: Soak the beans for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Quick soak: Cover beans with water and bring to a boil for 3–5 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Soak for at least 1 hour.
• Cook beans fully: Soak beans overnight. The next day, bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low heat for 2–3 hours until completely tender.

Approximate cooking times:

• Overnight soak only: Simmer the stew for approximately 2 hours
• Quick soak as per the method above: Simmer the stew for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Cook beans fully: Simmer the stew for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Nutrition

Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 13g | Sodium: 134mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 6mg

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