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Stewed Beans (soaked and un-soaked)

bowl of stewed red beans and white rice
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5 from 6 reviews

An easy and flavorful recipe for stewed beans made from dried red kidney beans, onion, bell pepper and spices. Includes Instant Pot, slow cooker and stovetop instructions. 

Plan to make a pot of rice to serve with the beans. My family also likes cornbread on the side. 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped*
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped*
  • 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (optional, I skip it sometimes)
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 2 1/2 cups (1 pound) dried red kidney beans
  • 4 1/2 cups water for Instant Pot, 6 cups water for slow cooker or stovetop
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning or Cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 sprigs parsley or cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons white miso (optional)
  • Chopped green onion (garnish)
  • Chopped parsley or cilantro (garnish)
  • Hot sauce or cayenne pepper (optional garnish for spicy stewed beans)

*Time-saving Tip: Use one 16-ounce package frozen fajita mix (bell pepper and onion) instead of chopping an onion and pepper by hand to save time.

Instructions

It's a good idea to briefly boil dried red kidney beans (10 minutes or so) to remove a protein called lectin, which is hard to digest and can make you sick if consumed raw in large quantities.  For this recipe, I use a quick-soak method that includes briefly boiling the beans. The lectin is removed from the kidney beans and the beans cook faster. Win, win! 

If you don't want to soak the beans for 1 hour after boiling, that's fine. Just use the un-soaked cooking times in the instructions as a guide. 

Instructions for boiling and quick-soaking red kidney beans

  1. Cover 1 pound of dried red kidney beans with 2 inches of water and 1 tablespoon salt
  2. Bring the water to a boil and boil the beans for 10 minutes
  3. Turn off the heat. If the water has reduced, add more so that the beans are covered.
  4. Let the beans sit for 1 hour. Drain and continue with the recipe.
  5. You can also soak the beans overnight, which will reduce the cooking time even more. 

Instant Pot Instructions

  1. Optional: Saute the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic in olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes until lightly browned. This will add a little more flavor to the stewed beans, but if you're in a hurry, skip this step. 
  2. Add the next 8 ingredients: Dried red kidney beans, 4 1/2 cups water, smoked paprika, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, salt, bay leaf, and sprigs of parsley or cilantro.
  3. For un-soaked beans, cook on high pressure for 50 minutes if you want tender beans with a creamy interior. For soaked beans, cook on high pressure for 25 to 30 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes.
  4. If the beans aren't tender enough, secure the lid and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. 
  5. If adding miso, scoop out a cup of broth after the beans are cooked and whisk in the miso until smooth. Pour the miso broth back into the stewed beans.
  6. Taste and add more salt if needed (it will probably be needed). The beans and broth will thicken up the longer they sit, especially overnight. 
  7. Serve with chopped green onion and fresh herbs. Hot sauce is optional. 

Notes

Slow Cooker Instructions

  1. Optional: Saute the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic in olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes until lightly browned. This will add more flavor to the beans, but if you're in a hurry, skip this step.
  2. Add the next 8 ingredients: Dried red kidney beans, 6 cups water, smoked paprika, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, salt, bay leaf, and sprigs of parsley or cilantro.
  3. For soaked beans, cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or until beans are soft. For un-soaked beans, cook on high for 6 to 8 hours.
  4. If adding miso, scoop out a cup of broth after the beans are cooked and whisk in the miso until smooth. Pour the miso broth back into the stewed beans.
  5. Taste and add more salt if needed (it will probably be needed). The beans and broth will thicken up the longer they sit, especially if refrigerated overnight. 
  6. Serve with chopped green onion and fresh herbs. Hot sauce is optional. 

Stovetop Instructions

  1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, warm the olive oil.
  2. Saute the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Add the next 8 ingredients: Dried red kidney beans, 6 cups water, smoked paprika, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, salt, bay leaf, and sprigs of parsley or cilantro. Mix well.
  4. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce slightly to a rapid simmer and put a lid on the pot.
  5. Simmer, covered, until beans are tender. For soaked beans, this will take at least 1 hour, but probably longer. For un-soaked beans it will take 90 minutes or more. Check occasionally and stir.
  6. To thicken, simmer for 30 additional minutes without a lid. Stewed beans will also thicken after cooking, especially if refrigerated overnight.
  7. Taste and add more salt if needed (it will probably be needed).
  8. Serve with chopped green onion and fresh herbs. Hot sauce is optional.

Bean Texture: Stewed beans should have a creamy texture. Make sure to cook the beans long enough, and you can also smash some of the cooked beans with a wooden spoon to make the broth creamier. 

Adding Meat: The blog post above has meat suggestions. The easiest way to add meat is slicing cooked sausage and adding it to the beans before serving. 

 

 

Find it online: https://www.kitchenskip.com/stewed-beans/