Saffron Beans with Mussels and Lemony Labneh
Saffron Beans with Mussels and Lemony Labneh
Beans and vibes
There are very few things I love more than beans.
I was 20 years old when I moved to Portland, OR from Mexico. I had exactly one month to find a job and make rent for my studio above the now-closed Matador Bar on Burnside. No family in the U.S., little to no English, totally clueless, and totally not fearless. I describe this period of my life as “jumping off the cliff without looking.”
I used to buy 10/$10 worth of canned beans at Fred Meyer. I thought there was no point in making beans from scratch because I was here temporarily! Why buy pans? (insert meeting Javier). All I had were flimsy plates and a can opener from Dollar Tree. When I finally bought my first saucepan from yes, Dollar Tree, (do they still sell cookware?) the thing melted onto the stove.
Cooking beans from scratch is not just for purists, it’s so much more affordable and you can easily reach the holy grail of beans: not mushy, no falling apart, and zero of that canned taste. You will also be rewarded with bean broth which really is the perfect liquid to thicken and fortify stews. I still pinch myself when I open my pantry and pull out a bag of Rancho Gordo’s Cassoulet Beans. It still feels like quite the upgrade from my former life.
But it’s not like I don’t find myself with cans of beans from writing a new recipe or stocking up on a type of canned bean I only need for this one dish. They save the day for a quick meal every time. Marinating or dressing beans in a flavorful sauce is one of the best ways to move beans from a side dish to the main category. Adding saffron and tomato paste to make a sort of quick sofrito with garlic coats the beans in a creamy and incredibly savory sauce. It’s the right move for steamed mussels, grilled veg, or your favorite protein.
Finishing this dish with labneh thinned out with lemon juice makes it super addictive. Try this recipe next time you need a quick meal that feels put together, but that only takes 20 minutes tops. Listening to Adonowsky, the Mexican-Chilean singer by way of France, Juan Cirerol out of Mexicali, Los Románticos de Zacatecas, Chetes, and Porter from Guadalajara on this week’s playlist; it’s beans and vibes time.