Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)

With the holidays approaching, it conjures thoughts of all the traditional dishes my Cuban family eats during our Christmas Eve meal. One main side dish that is served is frijoles negros (black beans), which goes really well with the roasted pork, yucca, white rice, fufu (mashed plantains), and shrimp served for the holiday meal.  However, black beans are an amazing recipe that makes for a simple, hardy, and healthy meal for any day of the year, not just holidays! This also happens to be a great vegan- and vegetarian-friendly recipe. It’s also gluten and dairy free! Black beans are simple, inexpensive to make, healthy, and delicious! So have fun giving this recipe a try and enjoy!   

Black Beans (Frijoles Negros) Recipe 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb (16 oz bag) of dry black beans
• 1 medium-sized green pepper
• 1 large onion
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• 2 tablespoons of garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon of salt
• 5 cups of water plus 2 cups of water to add later as needed

TOOLS NEEDED:

• A large pot
• A knife, cutting board, large spoon, and measuring utensils

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS

                                                                  

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. Collect the ingredients. First, put the dry black beans in a pot. Then rinse the beans three times with water, draining the water each time. Next fill the pot halfway, with about 5 cups of water, and let the beans soak for at least 2 hours or just let them soak overnight.   
2. Now finely chop the onion and green pepper in a food processor.
3. Once the beans finish soaking, add the chopped onion, chopped green pepper, garlic powder, salt, and cumin to the pot with the beans and water. Place the pot covered on the stove and bring to a boil on high heat. Then lower to medium-high heat and let boil for 5 minutes with the lid slightly uncovered. 
4. Next, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 40 minutes (Note: The timing could be different based on the brand of beans used and how long you soaked the beans).
5. By this point, the fluid should have reduced. Add 2 cups of water and continue to cook for 20 minutes.
6. Now take a large stirring spoon and squash some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the soup/liquid part of the beans (Note: Squash the beans until you get a thickness you like; watch the video demonstration for a visual/more details). Then reduce the heat to low and let cook for 15 minutes.  After that, the beans are ready to serve!