Cuban-Style Black Beans

No canned mushiness here—I promise you’ll taste the homemade difference with these Cuban-Style black beans. Shae commented on the texture several times throughout the week, which made my heart sing the chorus of the bean-cooking success song. Oh, you don’t know that song? Cook this black bean recipe and you’ll find that sweet melody.

This recipe changed the way that I think of the dried versus canned bean decision. Sure, it takes longer than opening a can of beans (what doesn’t?!) but the texture difference is worthwhile. Dried beans are also easy to make in bulk so you can get beans for days by doubling this recipe.

These babies are simple to make and require minimal monitoring so you can throw them on the stove and curl up with a book, play fetch with the pup, or binge watch your favorite show. Following Minimalist Baker’s lead, I skipped the decision to soak the beans beforehand and instead added a sheet of seaweed to the mix to aid in digestibility. Surprisingly, you can’t taste it in the final product, so make it plural if you want to bring that flavor out.

Try Cuban-style black beans in black bean bowls with mango salsa for a similar vibe or throw ‘em on top of salads if you’re looking for an easy dinner. If you made this recipe and agree with banning the can, leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #plantandvine on Instagram!

Cuban-Style Black Beans

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

These one pot Cuban-style black beans are flavorful, easy-to-make, and great for a variety of dishes. We eat them with tacos, enchiladas, burritos, nachos, and salads.

• Author: Plant & Vine
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
• Yield: 10 servings
• Category: Side, Vegan
• Method: Stove
• Cuisine: Cuban

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry black beans (rinsed)
• 1 cup chopped white or yellow onion (roughly chopped)
• 6 cloves garlic (smashed and peeled // but not diced)
• 1 sheet seaweed for digestibility (optional)
• Water (about 3 cups)
• Vegetable broth (about 3 cups)
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 2 teaspoons sea salt plus additional salt to taste
• 2 bell peppers (any color), diced
• Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

1. Add beans, onion, garlic, and seaweed to a large soup pot and cover with mixture of water and vegetable broth (use half of the water and half of the vegetable broth during this step). Make sure the beans to be covered in about 2-3 inches of liquid.
2. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered for 1 hour – 1 hour 45 minutes or until the beans are tender. During this time, you might need to add more liquid to make sure beans remain submerged. Add the remaining water and vegetable broth during this time (or more as needed).
3. Once tender, spoon out excess liquid if the beans are too soupy. You want some liquid to remain because there is still cook time left.
4. Add chopped bell peppers, salt, cumin powder, and chipotle powder. Increase heat to medium (the beans should be bubbling) and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes.
5. Store beans in the refrigerator up to 5 days. You can also freeze up to 1 month.

Notes

*Recipe is a guide. Adapt ingredients and measurements as desired.

Keywords: black bean recipe, cuban-style black beans, cuban-style black bean recipe