What Beans are the Best for Georgian Lobio?

With Georgia being located near Asia and Europe, their cuisine is influenced by Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Some of the most frequently used ingredients in Georgian cuisine are walnuts, kidney beans, cheese, garlic, pomegranate, and honey. These are a few ingredients that are used to make lobio. Lobio is the national dish of Georgia.

What is Lobio?

Lobio is a thick bean soup. Traditionally, it is made with red beans. Some variations of the recipe use black beans or pinto beans. The spice level of the soup can vary according to different recipes but generally, the soup has a moderate spiciness. A traditional lobio recipe uses only black pepper while some other recipes have hot pepper as an ingredient. Many people considered this delicious, thick, spicy soup an ideal comfort food.

Lobio Nigozit

Lobio Nigozit is one of the most popular versions of lobio. This version of lobio uses 1lb of dry red kidney beans, onions, cilantro, garlic, ground blue fenugreek, bay leaves, finely ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, salt and black pepper.

Preparing Lobio

Instructions for preparing Lobio can easily be found online. The preparation time varies according to whether you use dry or canned beans. Dry beans are traditional but using canned beans requires less time. You can vary the spices according to your preference. There are also some lobio recipes that include meat. Pinto beans can be used to make lobio. When mashed, as the recipe instructs you to do, pintos provide the creaminess needed to give lobio its authentic thick texture. Pinto beans also absorb the myriad of flavors from the spices used to make this dish.

Serving Suggestions

Traditionally, Georgian lobio is served in small clay pots. In keeping with tradition, the soup should be served with a popular Georgian cornbread known as Mchadi. Mchadi is a simple bread made from stone-ground cornmeal, salt, and water. Its simplicity is the perfect accompaniment to the flavorful bean soup. A basic flatbread can be served instead of Mchadi.