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These tahini beans with smashed cucumbers bring together creamy butter beans, smoky tofu, and a sharp cucumber topping. Tahini makes the beans rich and smooth, while paprika, cumin, garlic, and lime give the base plenty of flavor. The cucumbers stay crisp and fresh, which gives the dish a good contrast.
Smacking the cucumbers cracks the skin and creates rough edges that catch the tamari, mirin, sesame oil, lime, and chili oil. The beans simmer with tofu and stock until thick, then the tahini goes in at the end. Spring onion, coriander, sesame seeds, and extra chili oil finish the bowls.
Read more: Caramelized Onion Butter Beans
This recipe comes from Sophie Macfie’s Soph’s Plant Kitchen: 30 in 30. It makes a quick lunch or dinner and packs 40 grams of protein and 21 grams of fiber per portion. Serve it as it is, or add rice or flatbread if you want a bigger meal.
Republished with permission from Soph’s Plant Kitchen 30 in 30: 30g of protein, 30 minutes or less (Yellow Kite: £25). Photo credits: Haarala Hamilton
Quickly whip up these tahini beans with smashed cucumbers
Ingredients
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- Extra virgin olive oil for frying
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1½ tsp hot smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 3 x 400g cans butter beans
- 250 g extra-firm smokedtofu cut into small cubes
- ½ tsp vegetable bouillon powder or ½ vegetable stock cube, crumbled
- 4 tbsp tahini
- Juice of 1 lime
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Sea salt
For the smashed cucumbers
- 2 small Persian or ½ large English cucumber
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1½ tsp crispy chili oil plus more to serve
- 1 tsp sesame seeds plus more to serve
To serve
- 1 spring onion finely chopped on an angle
- Fresh coriander leaves
Instructions
- First, cook the aromatics. In a large casserole on a medium heat, cook the shallot in olive oil with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Crack open the cans of beans by about 5mm (¼in) and pour out a dash of the liquid sitting at the top of the cans. Open the cans completely and pour the beans and the rest of their juices into the pan, followed by the smoked tofu, 120ml–200ml (4–7fl oz/½–scant 1 cup) water and the bouillon or stock and stir well. Bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring regularly.
- While that is simmering, make the smashed cucumbers. Position the whole cucumber(s) on a wooden chopping board and carefully but firmly smack a wooden rolling pin down hard on them a few times, cracking the skin in places. Chop roughly into wonky triangles, then add to a mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- The beans should have reduced by now, so add the tahini and stir until creamy, then remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Season to taste.
- Divide between bowls, adding the smashed cucumber on top, followed by the spring onion, some fresh coriander leaves, more chili oil, and sesame seeds.
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