A simple, savory pinto bean stew with a Japanese-twist, made with tomatoes and shio koji — a Japanese fermented rice seasoning that adds saltiness, umami, and a touch of sweetness while building layers of flavor with tomatoes.
This is one of my favorite vegan main dishes to make with pinto beans. Rich, savory, and full of umami, it's simple but satisfying.
In Japan, pinto beans are often simmered with sugar, but this version is savory, inspired by Mexican and Indian bean dishes. Rather than relying on spices, I let shio koji and tomatoes build layers of savory flavor.
The recipe itself is simple. If you already have cooked pinto beans in the fridge, you're halfway there. Simply add everything to a pot and simmer for about 15 minutes.
I usually serve it with steamed rice and lightly pickled Japanese cucumber. If there's soup, even better, but I'm perfectly happy with this for a simple lunch.
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🧺 Why This Recipe Works
- Easy yet satisfying — No spices, no sautéing. Just a pot, a handful of ingredients, and about 15 minutes.
- Umami-rich flavor — Both shio koji and tomatoes are packed with glutamate, creating a depth of flavor that goes beyond the simple ingredient list.
- 100% plant-based — A hearty main dish for vegans and vegetarians.
🌿 Ingredients
- Cooked pinto beans — I like using home-cooked pinto beans for this recipe. The cooking liquid is full of flavor, so I add that to the pot too. If you don't have any, simply use water instead. →📖 How to Cook Pinto Beans
- Tomatoes — I usually use frozen cherry tomatoes from last summer's harvest and add them to the pot whole. Fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes work just as well.
- Shio koji — A traditional Japanese seasoning made from rice koji (steamed rice inoculated with the mold Aspergillus oryzae), salt, and water. It adds saltiness, umami, and a touch of sweetness, bringing depth of flavor to the stew with just one seasoning. Both homemade or store-bought shio koji work well. → 📖 How to Make Shio Koji
- Cilantro — Finely chop the stems and add them with the other ingredients. Stir the leaves in at the end, or scatter them over the top before serving. It may seem like a small ingredient, but it makes a noticeable difference to the finished stew.
Full measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom 👇
📖 How to Make
- Add everything to the pot
- Add all ingredients except the cilantro leaves to the pot.
- Simmer
- Heat over medium, stirring occasionally.
- Once it comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low.
- As the tomatoes soften, gently mash them with a spatula and continue simmering until the liquid reduces and the stew thickens.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro leaves to finish.
📝 Tips
▶︎ Tomato skins — As the tomatoes cook, the skins will float to the surface. Removing them only takes a moment and makes the finished stew feel a little nicer to eat.
▶︎ Consistency — The stew will continue to thicken as it cools. If you like a little more broth, stop cooking while it still looks slightly looser than you'd like.
▶︎ For extra richness — Instead of adding everything to the pot at once, sauté a little minced garlic in oil first, then add the remaining ingredients.
📘 Storage
Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. The beans will firm up in the fridge, but soften again when reheated.
If I have the time, I like to let it cool before serving. The flavors settle together as it rests.
📚 FAQ
Yes. This recipe uses cooked pinto beans, so you'll need to cook them ahead of time. You can find my step-by-step method here: 📖 How to Cook Pinto Beans.
🫘 More Pinto Bean Recipes
Vegan recipes using pinto beans:
🍽️ More Bean Recipes
More vegan recipes using all kinds of beans — from savory dishes to desserts. (👉 See all)
🥢 More Shio Koji Recipes
Vegan recipes using homemade shio koji:
✏️ Recipe Card
Pinto Bean Shio Koji Tomato Stew
Ingredients
- 280 g cooked pinto beans
- 150 ml pinto bean cooking liquid (or water)
- 85 g cherry tomatoes (fresh or frozen, or use canned tomatoes)
- 2 teaspoon shio koji
- cilantro (to taste)
Instructions
- Finely chop the cilantro stems and leaves separately.cilantro
- Add the cooked pinto beans, pinto bean cooking liquid (or water), tomatoes, shio koji, and the chopped cilantro stems to a pot.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Once it comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low.
- As the tomatoes soften, gently mash them with a spatula.
- Remove any tomato skins that float to the surface, if you like.
- Continue simmering until the liquid reduces and the stew thickens.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped cilantro leaves, and serve.cilantro
Notes
- For a quicker stew, reduce the cooking liquid to 50–100 ml.
- Fresh, frozen, or canned tomatoes all work well in this recipe.
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