Ingredients
- 1 pound dry black beans
- 1 whole onion chopped
- 4 strips of nitrate free bacon (organic is possible)
- 1/2 of a large cilantro bunch
- 3 Tablespoons of tomato paste
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- 1/2 of a heaping teaspoon teaspoon of oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika (regular paprika works too)
- 1/2-1 teaspoon dry chili flakes (depends on your spice tolerance)
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt (start with less and add to your preference)
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 6 cups of water or chicken stock (chicken stock adds more flavor and minerals)
- Chopped red onion
- Fresh lime juice
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Chopped cilantro
Instructions
1. First, wash black beans and soak them in a large pot of water overnight. Make sure your beans are covered in water several inches above the beans.
2. The next morning, drain and rinse beans in a strainer.
3. Next, rinse out the same pot your beans were soaked in and add your strained and rinsed beans back into the pot.
4. Then add chopped onion, bacon, cilantro, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, chili flakes, bay leaf, sea salt, pepper, and water or chicken stock. Stir until combined.
Over medium heat, bring beans to a boil and then immediately lower heat to a simmer.
5. Next, cover pot with a lid and cook for about two hours until beans are soft. I like to take the lid off during the last 30 minutes of cooking to allow the liquid to thicken a bit.
6. Lastly, remove the bay leaf, bacon and cilantro from the pot. Serve with rice and toppings listed in the ingredients items above.
Notes
Here are a few recipe ideas you can serve these beans with:
- Black beans are a perfect addition to these Burrito Bowls.
- These Baked Chicken Taquitos would benefit from the flavor of the Easy Beans.
- If you want to use Chicken Stock to cook the beans, I have a simple and delicious recipe.