Spanish cuisine · Soups & Stews

Pochas a la Riojana

Young white beans from Navarre, braised with green pepper and tomato into a pale, creamy broth.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 600 g young white beans (pochas, or 300 g dried white beans soaked instead)
• 1 onion
• 2 green peppers
• 3 tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 carrot
• 60 ml olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Sort and rinse the beans; if using dried ones, soak overnight and drain. Coarsely dice the onion, one pepper and the carrot.
2. Combine the beans with the onion, diced pepper, carrot, bay leaf, 3 tbsp olive oil and 1.2 l cold water and bring slowly to a simmer.
3. Simmer covered over very low heat for 35–45 min., adding a splash of cold water twice in between so the beans stay whole and the broth turns milky and creamy.
4. Meanwhile cut the second pepper into strips and sauté the chopped garlic in the remaining olive oil for 5 min., add the peeled, diced tomatoes and cook down 10 min. into a sofrito.
5. Stir in the paprika off the heat and add the sofrito to the beans; let everything simmer uncovered for another 10 min. until the broth clings lightly to the ladle.
6. Season with salt and pepper, remove the bay leaf and serve the pochas lukewarm with white bread.