Basic Black Beans
I use this basic recipe as an alternative to canned black beans. I feel that the beans have a fresher taste than canned and the beans tend to be firmer which give them a better mouth feel. The other nice part is I get to control the sodium and skip the additives which are used to prolong shelf life. The recipe consists of two parts. The first part is to give you basic beans which can then be used in a larger recipe. The second part is a suggestion for finishing the beans so that they can be eaten as a side dish.
When I first started making this recipe I used to cook the beans in chicken stock. It does make a slightly richer bean but the difference is hard to detect. My recipe now includes only water. Substitute chicken stock if you think it will make a difference.
- 1 cup dried black beans
- 1/2 small red onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 – 3 sprigs of thyme
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
In a large bowl add the black beans and cover with at least two inches of cold water. Leave the beans in the bowl for at least 8 hours or overnight.
In a small sauce pan add the olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Peel the onion and the garlic. Do not chop. Once heated add the onion, the garlic, and the bay leaves to the oil. Heat for about 2 or 3 minutes to release some of the oils from the garlic and onion.
Strain the beans in a colander and rinse. Add the beans to the sauce pan along with the sprigs of thyme. Add about 2 1/2 cups of water. Add about a teaspoon of salt and a couple of turns of the pepper mill. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover, and reduce the heat maintaining a simmer. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. I usually check for doneness after about 1 hour. The fresher the beans the shorter the cooking time. And then check every 15 minutes after that. The beans should be soft but still firm in the mouth. Adjust the salt and pepper. Remove the onion, the garlic, the bay leaves and the thyme sprigs.
You can then use the beans in another recipe or store them in a container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Retain the cooking liquid if you are going to store them. It will prevent the beans from drying out.
If you want to serve them as a side dish use the following recipe.
- 1 black bean recipe above
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1/2 medium red onion diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced small or similar pepper according to taste, you could also use 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
In a saute pan add the olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the onion, the celery, the carrot and the pepper, include a dash of salt and two twists of the pepper mill and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and allow the fragrance to bloom for about 2 minutes. Add the black beans, including their liquid, to the saute pan, or conversely add the sauteed ingredients to the black beans. Add the cilantro a dash more of salt and a little black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to incorporate.
This recipe should make about four side dish servings. Or if you are like me maybe two side dish servings.