Skip to main content

Bean & Walnut Spread

This nutty bean purée is inspired by lobio, a marinated bean salad from the Georgian Republic.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    yields 3 cups

Ingredients

1 cup toasted walnuts
1 28-ounce can of red kidney beans (or 2 15-ounce cans), rinsed and drained
2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
5 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In the bowl of a food processor, grind the nuts until they make a smooth paste. Add the beans, garlic, about half of the scallions, the dill, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper and purée until quite smooth.

    Step 2

    Serve at room temperature or chilled, in a bowl or on a bed of greens, topped with the remaining scallions. This purée can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days. It loses a bit of its tang overnight, so add a little more vinegar to taste.

  2. Serving & menu ideas

    Step 3

    Some of us love Bean & Walnut Spread as part of a composed salad: Serve it on a bed of greens with hard-boiled eggs, Beet Salad (page 209), creamy Broccoli Slaw (page 208), and rye bread. And it’s a fine sandwich spread, with lettuce and tomatoes, or dressed up with roasted red peppers, hard-boiled eggs, or pickles. It’s an excellent snack or appetizer with crudités and/or crackers or bread.

Cover of the cookbook Moosewood Simple Suppers with a red floral motif.
From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.
Read More
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Like miso-peanut hibachi chicken and spring orzotto.
Like “phenomenal” whole lemon bars and grilled salmon with dill chimichurri.
This chicken salad nails it—creamy, herby, and endlessly riffable.
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
A flurry of fresh tarragon makes this speedy weeknight dish of seared cod and luscious, sun-colored pan sauce feel restaurant worthy.