BY
Remember on Monday I was talking about having to choose just one food to eat every day for the rest of your life? The closest I’ve come to that is actually eating one thing every single day for 18 months of my life. Now this sort of thing will usually have one of 2 effects. 1) Cause severe aversion to the food so the very thought of it makes you want to hurl, or 2) Create some subconscious need that makes it impossible for you to ever live without it. For me, it was the latter, and that is why at our house we eat black beans- in some form- at least once a week! I have a lot of different ways to make them, depending on how they’re being served. But this is one of those “recipes” that I get asked for all the time. My usual response is “a little of this and a little of that” since I don’t use a recipe. But just as with the lime-cilantro rice, this blogging thing has given me a reason to actually record some of my measurements so I have actual recipes to share. So to all of my friends out there who have been asking me how I make these- here you go! These beans are great alone as a side dish, or (all my Brazilian friends plug your ears now) topped with shredded cheese and sour cream, served over rice (they’re great on top of the aforementioned lime-cilantro rice minus the pineapple), or in fajitas and tacos. When I made them for these pictures, I spooned them on top of taco chicken, and then topped it with slices of creamy avocado and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. It was DiViNe. Enjoy!
Quick and Easy Black Beans
Ingredients:
2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 T olive oil
2/3 C diced onion
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
2/3 C chicken broth (or water, I use broth for extra flavor)
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lime
Instructions:
In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula so smoosh (yes, that’s a technical culinary term) some of the beans. You don’t want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce. I like mine on the thicker side so I smoosh quite a bit. They will thicken more upon standing.
If you want a more soupy consistency, just add a little more broth.
Serve as a side dish, or on top or rice, in fajitas or tacos, or on top of chicken or steak.
Makes 6 1/3 C servings
Nutrition Facts (per 1/3 C):
Calories: 70
Protien: 4 g
Carbs:13 g
Fat:1.5 g
Related Recipes:
Fajitas
Tortillas
Taco Chicken
Guacamole
Lime-cilantro rice
Lindsay- my toddler loves these too, so sometimes I’m sneaky and I chop up cooked veggies and smother them in the beans. He totally scarfs ’em down!
I made these beans last night and my two little boys (ages 3 and 1) and I scarfed ’em down and left none for poor hubby. I didn’t have any chicken broth so I had to make them without, but they were still delish. I got some broth today and am excited to try them again in a few days–they’ll be even better, I’m sure! Also, I like that they’re not spicy (but still flavorful) so my boys can eat them. Thanks Sara!
Camille- I’m glad you loved them as much as I do! Whenever I create things totally suited to my own personal tastes I have a secret fear that no one else will agree with me, lol. I love to put cilantro in mine too!
ok,,, these beans were stink’n fantastic!!!! the best black bean I have ever made!! I added a bit of fresh cilantro and it made it even better!
I actually did a “best bites” dinner night,,, but our favorite on the whole table was the beans!!! I am sooo going to have to make them again this week.
I can’t wait to try these cooked this way.
Erin, there’s a reason this recipe is called “quick and easy” !
I actually wrote all about this in my original post and then took it out because it was way too long, lol. I fell in love with black beans in Brazil, where no one would ever consider even using canned beans! So yes, for years I made them the traditional way soaking dry beans and then cooking them in a pressure cooker. But then I discovered that canned beans can seriously taste just as good and I can make them in 5 minutes. Thus the birth of the “quick and easy” black beans. If you want, some time I’ll post my “long and sort of easy” recipe for dry beans!
Suzanna-please don’t tell any Brazilians this…but I actually like them with cheese and sour cream! lol. I know, it’s blasphemous! I don’t do it that often, but when I do, I hide in shame in the closet. 🙂
Thanks for this recipe! I grew up in Brazil but left before I learned how to cook. I was jiat looking to get rid of some canned beans, but turns out these taste just like home! Will add some sausage next time for that extra oompf.
I think I fall into the latter category as well!
I remember asking you for this “recipe” and getting the general amounts, then making it for my Brazilian roommate. She thought they were better than her mom’s! That is, until she saw me pu cheese and sour cream on them. Then she said I was crazy and had turned them into Mexican food. She wouldn’t even stay in the room to watch me eat them. Hehe. I thought they were delicious!
I’m definitely going to try this, since we love black beans at our house. I have a question: have you ever tried using hard, uncooked black beans in the bag and letting them sit all day in the crockpot? I have a friend who makes refried beans similar to this, but she uses the pinto beans in the bag and lets them sit all day in her crockpot. Just curious. (And yes, I know opening cans is way easier than using a crockpot.)
We ONLY ever make our own “re-fried” beans (without the fry part) in the crockpot. Much healthier and tastes so much better! I’ve never made these in the crockpot but am going to give it a shot tomorrow while I’m at work! Don’t know why it wouldn’t work since pinto beans work great and we’ve done 1/2 pinto and 1/2 black beans in our refried beans before
gotta love the feijão!