Recipe of the day: Spiced pinto beans with sausage and vegetables

Pinto beans are often overshadowed by their cousins – black beans and kidney beans, but when it comes to flavour, there’s no reason for them to take a back seat.

They are also very affordable, costing about R20 and available at most major retail stores.

We love this pinto beans recipe, not only because it’s affordable, but also because it only takes 30 minutes to prepare – perfect for weeknights when you need to whip up something quick for dinner.

ALSO SEE: Recipe of the day: White lasagna with greens, gruyere and garlic

Spiced pinto beans recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (30ml)
• 2 sausages
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 carrot
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 cans pinto beans
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 bay leafs
• 1 cup water
• handful fresh parsley
• pinch sea salt
• dash black pepper

Method

1. Drain the canned pinto beans into a colander and rinse under cold water.
2. Roughly chop the onion and garlic, finely chop the peeled carrot and the green bell pepper and cut the sausages into 1.25cm thick rounds.
3. Heat a large fry pan or stock pot over medium heat and add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
4. After 1 minute add in the sliced sausages, mix with the olive oil. Once lightly sauteed, about 3 minutes, remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Using the same pan with the same heat, add in all the chopped vegetables and mix with the olive oil. After 3 minutes add in the oregano, cumin and paprika, quickly mix together, then add in the tomatoes finely grated (about 1/2 cup), mix together and simmer.
6. Once the tomato has thickened, about 3 minutes, add in the drained pinto beans, the sauteed sausages and season with sea salt and black pepper, mix together, then add in 1 cup (or more) water and 2 bay leaves. Mix together and bring to a boil, then place a lid and lower to a low-medium heat.
7. After 10 minutes, remove the bay leaves and the pan from the heat.
8. Transfer into shallow bowls and sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley, enjoy.

*This recipe was sourced from www.spainonafork.com

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