Sugo Verde (or in Libyan: Tbecha Bisilk)

Sugo Verde (or in Libyan: Tbecha Bisilk)

/ February 26, 2012 / 6 Comments / The Vegan Cookbook, Veganism
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Sugo Verde (or in Libyan: Tbecha Bisilk)
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Serves: 5
 
This is another traditional north African stew that is absolutely delicious and relatively easy to make. Traditionally, it is served with couscous and squeezed lemon juice on top of it. Very important: All the cooking should be done in a big pot that can be placed in the oven. So make sure the pot you use has no plastic parts. Traditionally, this dish is cooked late at night and left in the oven to continue cooking slowly overnight. It is eaten for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
  • ⅙ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup of spinach (typically wild spinach is used, but you can use normal spinach or other greens as well).
  • 2 cups of a mixture of red beans, white beans and garbanzo beans (typically these legumes are used, but you can use any other combination)
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 potatoes (cut to large pieces)
  • ¼ cup of wheat grains (not mandatory)
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
  • You may add cubed of squash, pumpkin or carrots
Instructions
  1. Rinse the legumes in water over night. I actually prefer and recommend to leave them in water for 2-3 nights (replacing the water 2-3 times a day).
  2. Chop the spinach, and cook it in a wide pan until most of the water evaporate.
  3. Add the ⅙ cup olive oil, and fry in medium heat until the spinach gets very dark. I usually make a larger batch of this fried spinach, and freeze the rest so I don’t have to repeat steps 2 & 3 (they usually take about 20 mins that you can save this way).
  4. Next, on a separate pan, fry the onion in the oil until slightly golden.
  5. Add the legumes, garlic and potatoes, pour water until it properly covers everything. Let boil.
  6. Once boiled, add the spices, tomato paste and fried spinach. If you want to include the optional veggies, now is the time to add them. Mix well and cook in a low temperature for about 15 minutes.
  7. Add the wheat grains into the center of the stew.
  8. Now the important part:
  9. Make sure the water covers all the ingredients in the pot. Place the pot in the oven (yes yes, the pot with all the ingredient in the oven…) at a temperature of 120 Celsius or 250 Fahrenheit. Leave it in the oven for 8-9 hours until most of the water has been absorbed.
  10. It’s OK if there’s a little bit more water in the pot. Just make sure the legumes are soft and start eating already… You will get hooked to this dish.
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