How to Black Beans

By

This is a basic recipe for cooking black beans.

Yield: About 2 – 3 cups cooked black beans

Prep time:
Cook time:
Idle time:
Total time:

Ingredients
Main Ingredient
  • 1 cup dried black beans
Soak
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 tsp vinegar
Cook
  • 3 cups water or vegetable broth
Aromatics (Optional)
  • ½ cup onions – chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 tsp fresh parsley – chopped
  • 3 tsp fresh thyme – chopped
  • ½ tsp salt (add at end)
Instructions
Soak (6 Hours Advance)
  1. Combine the black beans, water, and vinegar in a bowl and soak at room temperature for at least 6 hours.
  2. Drain and rinse the soaked beans.
Cook Options
Stovetop
  1. Add the soaked black beans and desired aromatic ingredients (except salt) into a saucepan with 3 cups of water/broth (or enough to cover with about 2 inches above the beans).
  2. Bring the beans to a boil, and then let them simmer uncovered for 1 hour or until the beans are tender.
  3. Add the salt at the end of cooking, when the beans are cooked and tender.
Oven
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Add the soaked black beans and desired aromatic ingredients (except salt) into a Dutch oven with 3 cups of water/broth (or enough to cover with about 2 inches above the beans).
  3. Place the Dutch oven into the oven with its lid on. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  4. Add the salt at the end of cooking, when the beans are cooked and tender.
Store Options
Refrigerate
  1. Store the black beans with the cooking water in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 7 days.
Freeze
  1. Store the black beans with the cooking water in an airtight container in the freezer and use within 3 months.

Notes
  1. Soaking the black beans help to reduce the phytic acid content and the cooking time, and allows the beans to cook more evenly.
  2. Adding salt in the beginning of the cooking process tends to slow down the cooking, so always add at the end.
  3. Check out some of my recipes with black beans.