Description
A quick easy recipe for creamy, flavorful, highly nutritious Cuban Black Beans. Makes A fantastic side dish with Cuban, Mexican and Latin American cuisine. For a complete meal serve the beans with rice and assorted garnishes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces slab bacon cut into 1-inch by ½-inch lardons
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 6 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 15-ounce cans of black beans with their liquid
- 1 tablespoon cider or white vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ teaspoons Kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½ cup - 1 cup of water or broth (chicken or vegetable), if needed
Optional Garnishes:
- Lime Wedges
- Chopped cilantro
- Sour cream
- Cotija Cheese, grated
- Sliced Avocado
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and sauté, stirring often, until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and onion. Cook, stirring, for one minute. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes longer to soften the vegetables. Add cumin and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to toast the cumin.
- Add 1 can of beans with their liquid to the pot. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to gently mash the beans. Add the other two cans of beans with their liquid, vinegar, bay leaves, 1½ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Adjust taste and texture to your liking by adding additional water or broth and salt and pepper.
- Serve as a side dish with lime wedges and chopped cilantro or as a main dish scooped over steaming brown or white rice and topped with garnishes of chopped cilantro, lime wedges, grated cheese and/or sour cream.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: main dish or side dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cuban