Black beans may be my favorite of all the legumes. The rich dark silkiness achieved by slow cooking black beans is so soul satisfying. Black beans, or as some people refer to them, turtle beans or frijol negro, are a staple in the Latin American diet. The beans are rich in fiber, protein, vitamin B and other minerals. I have had the pleasure of eating black beans with eggs for breakfast in Cuba, mixed with rice, known as the Moors (black beans) and Christians (white rice) in Costa Rica, and as a side with tortillas and guacamole in Mexico. Each country has their unique style of preparing and serving the beans. I like them with anything from eggs to meats, chicken and seafood, or mixed in with quinoa or other grains for a satisfying salad or side.
Black Beans
-
- Cook Time
- Minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black beans
- 2 medium onions
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp sherry per bowl, optional
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Rinse the beans. Place the beans in a deep stock pot and soak them over night. Pour off the soaking water and cover the beans again with fresh water. Some of you may choose to cook the beans in a pressure cooker or a slow cook crock pot to speed up the process. Add one onion, quartered, 1 clove garlic, smashed, and one bay leaf to the pot. Turn the heat on high, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer and stir for 2-3 hours. The beans should be soft.
- Remove the onion and garlic from the beans. Remove beans from the heat.
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Sauté the chopped onion, 4 cloves of minced garlic and the chopped bell pepper slowly until soft. This is called a "sofrito" in Spanish cooking.
- When the sofrito is soft and lightly browned, add it to the pot with the beans. Add the other bay leaf. Turn the beans back on to simmer. Add the cumin and oregano. Stir to combine all ingredients and cook for another 10-15 minutes so the flavors will have time to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Before serving, add the juice of one half of a lime to the beans. I usually serve the black beans with brown rice in a bowl. Garnish each bowl with a little sherry and some fresh chopped cilantro.
- Servings : 10 half cup servings
- Recipe Type : All Recipes, Mains, Vegetable Dishes & Sides, vegetarian
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