Black Beans
Black beans are a staple of Brazilian and Latin American cuisine. Creamy and hearty, they pair perfectly with white rice. The thick, dark broth is the result of slow, well-seasoned cooking.
⏱️ Cooking Time: 40 minutes
🥘 Ingredients
- 2 cups black beans (soaked for 8 hours)
- 1.5 liters water
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
👨🍳 How to Make
- 1
Soak the beans in water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Discard the soaking water.
- 2
In a large pot, cover beans with fresh water and add bay leaves.
- 3
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low.
- 4
Cook for 35-40 minutes until beans are tender (test by mashing one).
- 5
In a skillet, heat oil and saute garlic and onion until golden.
- 6
Mash a few ladles of beans and mix into the saute to thicken the broth.
- 7
Return the mixture to the pot, add salt and pepper.
- 8
Cook for another 5 minutes to incorporate the flavors.
🔄 Cooking Variations
| Method | Time | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure cooker | 25 min | Cook for 20 minutes after reaching pressure. Ideal for unsoaked beans (in that case, 30 min). | |
| Slow cooker | 360 min | Cook on low for 6-8 hours. The result is extremely creamy beans. |
💡 Tips
- ✦ Always soak beans - it reduces cooking time and improves digestion.
- ✦ Do not add salt at the beginning of cooking, as it hardens the beans.
- ✦ Mashing some beans with the saute is the secret to a creamy broth.
- ✦ Cooked beans can be frozen for up to 3 months in portions.
🧠 Did You Know?
Beans and rice together form a complete protein, providing all essential amino acids.
Brazil is the largest per capita consumer of beans in the world.
There are over 400 varieties of beans cultivated worldwide.
🥗 Nutrition Info
A 100g serving of cooked black beans contains approximately 77 kcal, 14g of carbohydrates, 5g of protein, and 8.7g of fiber. Excellent source of iron, potassium, and folic acid.