Black Beans
While soaking black beans does take some advanced planning, they are far superior to the canned version. Once you’ve tasted how good they are, you’ll never go back. Best of all, this recipe makes ten servings so you can enjoy your black beans as a side dish, over rice as well as in your quesadillas, burritos bowls, nachos and taco salads.
Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz bag of dry black beans, rinse and picked through
- 4 cups 1 32 oz box of broth (veggie or chicken)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium bell pepper, chopped (I like to use half green, half red)
- 2-3 handfuls of baby spinach optional
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (you’re making a lot beans so be generous)
Instructions
- In a large pot, soak black beans overnight in 7-8 cups of water. The black beans will expand as they absorb the water, so make sure you use plenty of water. Drain and rinse beans well. Return the beans to the pot. Cover with broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 45-1 hour. I recommend checking the beans at 45 minutes. Cook time will vary based on intensity of the flame as well as personal preference of texture (I like a tender but firm bean, so 45 minutes is usually perfect). When cooked to your liking, take off flame and discard the bay leaf.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm oil over medium heat. Cook onions until translucent (about 3 minutes). Add garlic, peppers, spinach and spices; cook until tender (about 5 more minutes). Add the veggies to the beans and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Notes
- You can turn this into Black Bean Soup by adding an extra box (4 cups; 32 oz) of broth. I usually then remove half the cooked beans and use them for another recipe.
- This makes 10 servings. For leftover ideas, see blog post.