Ruby’s Lovely Lebanese Loubieh Dish
A traditional Lebanese beans, tomato and rice dish my sitty (the word for grandmother in Lebanese) cooked for me as I grew up. An easy and cheap vegetarian meal that might not look or sound all that… but tastes like home to me.
Ingredients
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion diced
1 heaped tsp garlic
1 kg frozen beans
2 x 400g tins diced tomatoes (I always put about 1/2 tsp sugar in each tin of toms)
2-3 teaspoons mixed spice
1 teaspoon of cumin
A pinch of chilli flakes (optional, just if you like a little kick!)
1 tsp salt (you may need a bit more at the end)
Pepper
As much rice or grain as you please
Greek yoghurt or hummus to serve
Method
- Put your rice, or grain (I sometimes use pearl barley or quinoa instead) into a pot with water and put on to boil whilst you cook, or put in the rice cooker (whatever you would normally use)
- Fry onions and garlic in pan until onions are soft.
- Add beans and cook until they change colour to a duller green.
- Use lid on pan while cooking beans to speed things up.
- Add mixed spice, cumin, salt and pepper, chilli flakes and stir well.
- Add tomatoes and simmer for about 10 mins. You can add about half a tin of water if you think it needs a bit of juice.
- Leave to sit for about 10 mins before final seasoning. I always find it seems to change in taste after you’ve turned it off for about 10 mins.
- Serve on top of rice, with a big dollop of Greek yoghurt or hummus.