Why This Recipe Shines
This delightful dish substitutes silken tofu with rich, creamy white beans and their flavorful cooking liquid, creating a hearty stew that perfectly balances the bold flavors of chile-bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns. By saving some of the chile oil for drizzling at the end, you can easily customize the heat level to suit your taste.
With many people stocking up on dried beans lately, we’ve been developing various recipes to make the most out of these pantry staples. While simply enjoying well-cooked beans with a drizzle of spicy olive oil and crusty bread is always satisfying, adding variety to our meals has become increasingly important during these repetitive times. Enter mapo tofu-inspired white beans!
Video: The Serious Eats Team | Photography: Sasha Marx
In this recipe, creamy white beans take center stage alongside their savory cooking liquid, echoing the signature spicy and aromatic notes found in traditional Sichuanese mapo tofu. The addition of a small amount of ground meat—either pork or beef—adds depth without breaking the bank. Aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger, and scallions (or seasonal ramps) enhance flavor complexity while keeping things bright.
To help you adjust spiciness according to personal preference, we reserve half of our homemade chile oil for serving at the table. This way everyone can tailor their bowl just how they like it.
By adopting a component-based approach to meal prep—cooking a large batch of dried beans ahead—you can whip up quick dishes such as these mapo-style beans or other bean-centric recipes like double-bean mazemen or pasta with greens and legumes. Stay tuned for more bean-inspired ideas coming your way!
Mapo Beans (White Beans in Mapo Tofu Style) Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil (divided)
- 4 ounces (115 g) ground pork or beef
- 1 tablespoon (17 g) doubanjiang (Chinese fermented broad bean-chile paste; see notes)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely ground dried Chinese chiles (see notes)
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or grated (about 2 teaspoons; 10 g)
- One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated (about 2 teaspoons; 12 g)
- 4 scallions or 12 ramps (about 2 ounces; 55 g), whites and greens separated into 1-inch pieces
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) water
- 2 cups (565 g) cooked dry white beans such as cannellini or Great Northern along with their cooking liquid
- 1 teaspoon finely ground Sichuan peppercorns
Instructions:
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In a large saucepan or wok over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil until shimmering.
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Add in your choice of ground meat and cook while breaking it apart with a wooden spoon until browned through—approximately 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked meat onto a plate.
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Lower heat to medium before adding remaining 3 tablespoons (45ml) oil into the same pan until shimmering again.
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Stir in doubanjiang for about 30 seconds, allowing its aroma to fill your kitchen before adding ground chiles for another 30 seconds until they darken slightly.
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Reserve 2 tablespoons (30ml) from this mixture in an oven-safe ramekin for later use.
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Next add garlic, ginger, along with scallion/ramp whites into your pan stirring constantly until fragrant—around another 30 seconds.
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Pour in water followed by cooked white beans including their liquid along with reserved meat then bring everything together at simmering point.
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Reduce heat slightly maintaining gentle simmering action while allowing mixture thickens over approximately 3–5 minutes. Toss in scallion/ramp greens just long enough till softened (~30 seconds).
9 . Serve stew hot divided among individual bowls topped off generously sprinkled with freshly-ground Sichuan peppercorns alongside reserved chile oil on hand so diners may drizzle per preference!
Special Equipment Needed:
A large saucepan or wok will work best here!
Notes:
Doubanjiang may also be labeled “toban djan” available at Chinese markets & online retailers alike! Look specifically for Pixian doubanjiang varieties if possible!
Dried Chinese chiles are typically milder but feel free substituting them based on availability understanding flavor profiles might differ slightly depending upon what’s used instead!
For optimal results stick strictly using home-cooked dried legumes rather than canned options which lack necessary depth & texture required within this dish!
Sichuan peppercorns provide unique citrus-like zing not found elsewhere so seek them out either locally/internet sources when preparing this recipe!
Make-Ahead Tips:
Both mapo-style white bean stew & reserved chili-infused oils store well refrigerated within airtight containers lasting up-to three days maximum freshness guaranteed!