Vegetarian Voyager

Loubia.

LOUBIA — a dish of stewed beans — appears in various forms in different parts of the world. What all the dishes have in common is beans, of one kind or another, cooked slowly with aromatics and enough liquid to form a soupy stew. In Lebanese cuisine, lubia involves green beans or green beans with beef, in Afghanistan lobia or lobya is made with red kidney beans and in the Punjab you'll find lobia, a curry of black-eyed beans. Culinary historian Claudia Roden includes a recipe for a black-eyed pea salad, called

loubia, in The Book of Jewish Food. Canadian author and culinary anthropologist Naomi Duguid, in her latest award-winning book, Persia, defines lobios, as they are known in that region, simply as vegetable stews.

Dried beans need to be soaked overnight but this version of Moroccan loubia, using canned white beans, is an easy, warming and nourishing dish, just right for warding off winter's chill. Serve with crusty bread or over rice for a satisfying vegetarian meal.