Black Beans

[CM]

FRIJOLES NEGROS (BLACK BEANS) CUBAN

1 lb. dried black beans
2 qts. water
2/3 c. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
6 sweet chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
2 tsp. powdered chicken or ham bouillon
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. whole dried oregano, crushed
2 tbsp. sugar
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. dry wine
1 1/2 tbsp. vinegar
1/2 c. chopped onions

Pick over beans, discarding any shriveled, broken beans and foreign particles. Wash well and soak overnight in sufficient water to cover plus an additional 2 inches.

The next day, drain beans; rinse in fresh running water and drain again. Discard any beans that float to top.

Place in large pot of water. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 2/3 cups olive oil and gently sauté garlic, onions, and chili peppers for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you have pork, bacon, salt pork or ham (even leftovers or a ham bone), you can chop it up and sauté it in the oil for added flavor, (or in the case of a bone, add it to the soup) but this is optional.

Add 1 cup of drained cooked black beans and mash together with the rest of the ingredients in skillet.

Add this mixture to the pot with 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, sugar, bouillon, and bay leaves.

Cover and simmer 1 hour on medium heat. Add wine and vinegar, cover, and cook over low heat for another 30 minutes. Uncover and cook until sauce thickens as desired; add more water if required.

Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. Sprinkle with chopped onions and serve.

Cooks Notes: 1 cup of dried black beans yields approximately 2 1/2 cups cooked beans. If you're in a hurry, beans may be cooked in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure. Check the user guide that came with your pressure cooker for specifics.

Nutritional Information: Black beans are high in folate (256mcg), iron (3. 61mg), magnesium (120mg), phosphorus (241mg), and are also a good source of zinc (1.92mg), thiamine (.42mg), and niacin (2mg) - approximation based on 1 cup portion size.

Find more recipes for Cuban Black Bean Soup at Cooks.com.

[CM]

Black Beans, also known as turtle beans, are rich in flavor and loaded with fiber and protein. They're good for using in soups, bean dips, salsas, chili, refried beans, and many other recipes. They store well in a cool, dry, airtight place. Plastic drink containers such as Tropicana bottles with a two piece lid or large Gatorade gallon size containers or even half gallon sized Ball canning jars make great storage containers. Be sure to wash and dry the container thoroughly before using. Black beans are also available from some mail order sources in 4 1/2 lb cans with a resealable plastic lid that is convenient to use. These cans may be stored for 10-15 years if unopened.

Cooking Instructions for Black Beans

Put beans into a large bowl and sort through them, checking carefully and removing any stones or other debris. Wash under cold running water in a sieve. Rinse bowl and return beans to bowl to soak overnight (6-8 hours). Drain and rinse to remove indigestible enzymes.

To soak beans quickly: add 3-4 cups hot water per 1 cup of beans. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let soak for one hour. Drain and rinse.

Cooking: Add 3-4 cups hot water per 1 cup of beans. Simmer at low to medium temperature until beans are tender (approximately 60-90 minutes). Do not add salt to the cooking water or the beans will take longer to become tender (salt may be added when beans are done).

[CM]

1 16 oz. pkg. dried black beans, soaked overnight
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup water, beef, pork, or ham broth
1 cup yellow onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup jarred jalapenos or chipotle peppers (to your taste)
1 1/2 tbsp. ground cumin seed
4 or 5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp. fine sea salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Prepare black beans by soaking overnight. Cook beans until tender; puree with water in a food processor (reserve 1 cup if you prefer more texture). Set aside.



In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat; add onions, and after a few moments, add garlic. Saute until onions are golden but do not allow garlic to brown (about 5-7 minutes). Stir in the pureed beans and whole beans, if reserved, the peppers, cumin and salt.

Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.

Taste and adjust seasonings; extra salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin seed and even taco seasoning may be added to your taste, if desired.

[foodtalk]

Thanks for the recipe for these beans, they sound good.

[CM]

Hi Foodtalk - You're welcome :)

Don't forget to use a pressure cooker to cook them initially. It makes the preparation go much more quickly.