Cuban Black Beans

Course: Appetizers / Snacks, Entrees
Difficulty: Easy
Pulse Type: Beans
Specialty Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Nutrition: 300 calories or less, 7g+ fiber, 7g+ protein
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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Ingredients

  • 1 bell pepper green; diced
  • 4 cloves cloves peeled
  • 8 ounces black beans dried; rinsed and soaked overnight
  • 2 slices bacon cooked and diced (use smoked tempeh bacon for vegetarian option)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tbsps olive oil
  • 1/2 onion Spanish; diced
  • 1/2 tsp oregano dried
  • 1/4 tsp cumin ground
  • 1/2 tsp pepper black; freshly ground
  • 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar turbinado or other brown

Instructions

  1. Fill 1 large pot with 1 quart of water. Add half the diced green pepper and 2 cloves of the garlic, smashed, the beans and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer until the beans are tender, an hour or more.
  2. Meanwhile, make the sofrito. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tempeh bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining green pepper and onion and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
  3. Chop the garlic, and add to the sofrito, along with the oregano, cumin and black pepper. Stir for another minute. Pour in the vinegar and scrape any browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.
  4. When the beans are cooked, discard the bay leaf. Transfer 1 cup of beans to a blender, and blend them into a paste. Return to the pot. Add the sofrito, then the sugar.
  5. Stir the beans well and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so, skimming any foam from the top. Taste for salt.
  6. Serve with white rice and fried sweet plantains.