Time: 1 1/2 - 3 hours (Active time 15 minutes)

Skill Level: Beginner

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried beans (Maine Grains Kidney Beans used here)
• 2 tbsp. Algae Cooking Oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
  
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 smoked turkey thigh¹
• 2 tbsp. Aged Sherry Vinegar
• Kosher salt to taste
• Rice, minced chives, and sour cream for serving
  

Equipment

• Dutch oven or heavy pot

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325­­°F (160°C)
2. Place your Dutch oven over medium heat and add your algae oil, onion, and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook until lightly browned, 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, bell peppers, and garlic to the pot and cook until softened.
4. Add the dried beans and cover the beans by 2" with water.
5. Nestle the turkey thigh into the liquid so that it is slightly peeking out of the top of the water, then bring the pot to a simmer.
6. Once at a simmer put the pot into the oven and cook until the beans are tender and the turkey thigh starts to pull apart easily, approximately 1-3 hours. If the liquid level gets low and the beans start to outwardly toast, add water to cover the top of the beans and cover the pot while in the oven. 
7. Carefully remove the pot from the oven and let it cool until you can shred the turkey. From here, add the vinegar and then season with salt to taste. Serve over rice and top with chives and sour cream. 
   

Footnotes

¹ This is where you can customize the recipe easiest. Don't like turkey? Use a ham hock. Keeping it vegan? Use some dried mushrooms that have been soaked and some veg stock. You can also omit this completely and be fine, but just be flexible. 

² I don't pre-soak the beans for this recipe but you absolutely can. If you do this will reduce the cooking time by an hour or so. To soak them just cover the beans with water by 2 inches, cover the bowl, and put them in the fridge overnight.