Red Bean Stew Recipe (2024)

The quality of the paprika you use is the first key to the success of this recipe. In my experience NOTHING you can buy in the regular supermarket comes close to true Hungarian paprika. The second key is cooking the paprika in oil well before adding liquid. If you add the paprika while your veggies are still sweating and exuding moisture you will be very disappointed in the result. Paprika ONLY dissolves in oil.

this says at the top, 1hr 30min. so i start cooking with that in mind. then as i read further into the instructions, it takes two hrs of cooking alone (not including prep time)! you guys need to adjust the time requirement!

This looks to be a great stew, but goulash it is not, even in inspiration. For a goulash, whether meat or veggie (mushrooms or beans), you need equal weights of the main ingredient and onions. And at least another tablespoon of paprika. The onions, simmering along with the meat or veggie base melt into the sauce and thicken it. That's how my Hungarian father made it for us, adding one or two finely diced green peppers on occasion and always serving it with sour cream over Spaetzle or Nockerln.

One pound of dried beans yields 6-7 cups cooked beans, depending on variety. Since a drained can of beans is 1.5-1.75 cups of beans, you will need about four cans to replace the amount of beans in this recipe.

Used one can of red kidney beans instead of dried beans.

I found this a bit bland and want to echo the comment from another poster: this is NOT a 1.5 hour dish. This is easily 2.5 hours so plan accordingly!

I substituted smoked paprika and canned organic kidney beans, dried dill and dried parsely. It certainly cut down the prep and cooking time and was still absolutely delicious. Served over pappardelle. Will cook again.

The beans take a really long time to cook, and as a result the vegetables cook for too long and become soggy. Would make more sense to cook the beans until nearly done, then add the rest of the ingredients later on in the process. I added a lot more paprika, which rounded out the flavor really well.

Dry beans always cook better alone, i.e., without salt or acidic food like tomatoes, which make them tough and hard. Shulman ignores this basic cooking fact consistently.

This dish went over well with my family. I used a combo of red & pinto beans simply because that's what I had in the house. After reading comments left by others, I added a bit of nearly fat-free ground pork and canned tomatoes instead of paste. Served over slices of country French bread. A keeper!

I would start with Step 2 in the pressure cooker, then add beans and liquid to the base, along with the ingredients added in Step 3, and follow your pressure cooker directions for cooking beans.

This is great, and so nice to have a vegan meal that my husband doesn't turn his nose up at. The only downside is that I can't stop eating it! I made mostly as written, though doubled the paprika and added 2 TBLS hot pimenton. Also doubled the garlic. Next time will double or triple the veggies, since carrots and (red) peppers sautéed w/paprika were delicious by themselves. A splash of sherry vinegar at serving time really brightens it up.

Super good for b'fast topped with a fried egg.

Be careful of the timing. The recipe states that it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete, but there is a fair amount of prep time, sautéing veggies, then a full 2 HOURS of simmering. So closer to 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours total.

Yes, other beans will work well, especially brown beans (pintos etc) and white beans.

I made this in a pressure cooker to save a bit of time - cooked the beans for 25 on high saved beans and broth-cooked veg on sauté function-stewed beans and veg for another 20 on high pressure -added remaining ingredients cooked on sauté until it reached desired thickness delicious and hearty

I did as Martha suggested in her own comment:"I would start with Step 2 in the pressure cooker, then add beans and liquid to the base, along with the ingredients added in Step 3, and follow your pressure cooker directions for cooking beans." Used just one cup of beans but full measures of seasonings. Bloomed the paprika in separate pan with a little oil before adding. Delicious.

I had to use what was in the house: 1T harissa instead of paprika 1C red wine from an open bottle 3 itallian sausageTurned out fabulous. Will make it again!

Cooked as written minus parsley (none in my garden) and subbed a few fresh tomatoes for the paste (because I did have those in my garden), hence, a bit more soupy, but still quite good and flavorful. It is a 2+ hour recipe unless you cook the beans ahead of time, but paprika - a ground chile - is often 'cooked' in oil at first to release the dehydrated oils, if you will, but it is not a mortal sin to not do so. Like any pepper/chile, paprika can be utilized in myriad ways, and taste good.

Followed the recipe closely, but used 4 cans of beans, one each red, yellow and orange peppers, and added the small savoy cabbage that was lurking in the fridge. Ate it with Bittman's whole wheat bread baked with King Arthur Harvest Seeds, and a glass of apple cider. Excellent.

First try and I was left with a thin soupy mixture that was bland. There was also a slightly bitter undertone that I can't explain. After reading the comments, for my second try I'm going to use Hungarian sweet paprika if I can find it and cook it with the oil and no vegetables initially. The lid will be left off the pot for the second hour and the second hour will be stretched to whatever it takes to thicken the liquids. Does that about do it?

I followed the recipe precisely and the result was extremely bland. My wife finally strained out the liquid and used the beans to make chili.

This is a very good recipe. I pressure cooked the beans before adding them to the veggies. This reduced the hands on cooking time to 1 hour. I did cook the veggies longer than instructed - first I sautéed the onions until light brown and then added the other veggies and cooked for another 15 mins. I think cooking the veggies longer increases the flavor, especially onions. No other changes to the ingredients. I'll be adding this dish to my weeknight rotation.

This is excellent. Trust the spice ratios, although it needs at least a teaspoon of salt and I omitted the cayenne. I added a potato to thicken it and that worked great.

Someone commented FIVE YEARS AGO that the cooking time on this is wildly off. It still hasn't been fixed. As written, this is minimum 2.5 hours, not including prep time.

I cooked this stew in my instant pot after I had sauteed the vegetables, on the hottest pressure cook setting for 6 minutes. The beans were not as tender as I would have liked, so I will cook it for several more minutes next time. I wish I had cut back the water, as it was more like a thin soup than a stew. The next day I cooked down what was left, and liked it much better.

We really liked this and true, it tastes even better as lunch the next day. The only change I’d make next time is no or less vinegar. It stands out too much. Otherwise a very healthy and yummy meal on a cold rainy day.

Add a half pound more beans. Slow simmer all day until they are thick. Add an entire can of tomato paste 8 oz. also add a little worcestershire, and finally, a bit of chupacabra seasoning. They are bland. Definitely need some spice. If you haven't heard of chupacabra seasoning, I suggest you invest in some immediately. It will change your life. Find it on amazon.

Add an extra tbsp of paprika and double the onions. Cook for the suggested length of time. Serve over panfried polenta. Incredible.

I may try this recipe again. As prepared i found the stew to be bland.