This delicious and super-simple weeknight dinner is particularly wonderful in late summer, when sweet, sun-ripened bell peppers are abundant and cooler evenings warrant war, creamy dishes like this one.

My apologies to any Hungarian readers for combining your national dish, chicken paprikash, with a decidedly non-Hungarian side, mashed cannellini beans. Paprikash is usually served with buttered noodles, and of course, you can do that here (and it will taste amazing!).

However, since I’m in the business of helping people consume vital nutrients to support their health and well-being, I sometimes see noodles as a “missed opportunity,” being largely devoid of nutrients.

Thus, I decided to trade noodles for a more nutritious — and equally delicious — side: cannellini beans cooked in olive oil with garlic, herbs, and chicken broth and pureed into a deeply comforting, silky mash. Here’s what that looks like (the amateur pic doesn’t quite do it justice — it tastes 1.000 times better than it looks here):

Creamy paprikash on a bed of beany comfort. 🙂

Paprika Power

The secret ingredient of this dish is genuine Hungarian paprika powder. While you can prepare it with regular paprika, I think it’s worth the extra effort to buy the real thing (easily obtained online or in specialized spice stores).

Hungarian paprika has a rich, sweet red pepper flavor, while regular paprika has a low-intensity pepper flavor. Hungarian paprika can be sweet or spicy (I sometimes combine a tablespoon of each), while regular paprika is typically sweeter and not very hot. (Fun fact: In Hungary, paprika is often used at the table instead of black pepper.) Lastly, Hungarian paprika has a bold, deep-red color, while regular paprika has a bright orange-red color.

Like so many of the foods featured in my recipes, paprika also has considerable health benefits:

• Vitamins & minerals: Paprika powder is a good source of vitamins A, E, B6, and iron
• Antioxidants: Paprika is high in antioxidants, especially carotenoids such as beta carotene, capsanthin, zeaxanthin, and lutein, which may help reduce inflammation and protect against chronic diseases.
• Anti-inflammatory: Paprika has anti-inflammatory properties that may help regulate blood pressure, improve blood circulation, and normalize stomach acid. Certain varieties of paprika, especially hot ones, contain the compound capsaicin. It’s thought that capsaicin binds to receptors on your nerve cells to reduce inflammation and pain.
• May promote healthy vision: Paprika contains several nutrients that may boost eye health, including E, beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Research has linked a high dietary intake of these nutrients to a decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts (studies here and here).
• May support healthy blood lipids: Paprika may benefit your cholesterol levels. In particular, capsanthin, a carotenoid in paprika, may raise levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol, which is associated with a lower risk of heart disease. A two-week study found that rats fed diets with paprika and capsanthin experienced significant increases in HDL levels, compared with rats on a control diet. The carotenoids in paprika may also help decrease levels of total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which are linked to an increased risk of heart disease. In a 12-week study of 100 healthy adults, those who took a supplement containing 9 mg of paprika carotenoids per day had significantly lower LDL and total cholesterol levels than those who got a placebo.
• Cancer risk reduction: Some compounds in paprika, including beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, may help fight oxidative stress, which is thought to increase the risk of certain cancers. Notably, in a study of nearly 2,000 women, those with the highest blood levels of beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and total carotenoids were 25–35% less likely to develop breast cancer. What’s more, capsaicin in paprika may inhibit cancer cell growth and survival by influencing the expression of several genes.
• May improve blood glucose control: Capsaicin may influence genes involved in blood sugar control and inhibit enzymes that break down sugar in your body. It may also improve insulin sensitivity ( studies here and here). In a 4-week study in 42 pregnant women with diabetes, taking a daily 5-mg capsaicin supplement significantly decreased post-meal blood sugar levels, compared with a placebo. Another 4-week study in 36 adults found that a diet with capsaicin-containing chili pepper significantly decreased blood insulin levels after meals, compared with a chili-free diet. Lower insulin levels typically indicate better blood sugar control.

Phew. So much for paprika. Maybe we should all do like the Hungarians and keep a paprika shaker on our dinner tables to allow liberal sprinkling of our meals.

As for bean mash

I’ll sing the praises of bean mash elsewhere; for now, here’s just the recipe.

Adaptations of this recipe:

• Vegetarian: Cook the stew without the chicken; add 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and top with 2 poached or hard-boiled eggs per person. (This will have a significantly lower protein content.)
• Pescetarian: Prepare the pepper stew with vegetable broth. Just before serving, add four 6-oz pieces of cod or a pound of peeled shrimp to the stew and let them simmer until cooked through (just a few minutes will do).
• Vegan: Prepare the stew with vegetable broth. Where the recipe tells you to add chicken, replace this with four servings of baked/high-protein tofu.
• Keto: Replace bean mash with a pureed low-carb vegetable like cauliflower mash, or steamed green beans, broccoli(ni), etc.