Homemade black beans are delicious, nutritious, inexpensive and very easy to make! There are many options on how to prepare black beans to accommodate your specified taste. You can add onion, garlic, cumin, vinegar, chilies, etc. It is fun to mix it up.
I make a pot of black beans almost every week for Robby and myself. We eat them in burritos, tostadas, and tacos or just by themselves. I also love to make a soup out of them by adding the bean broth water along with some of the beans to a medium pot. I usually add tomatoes, roasted poblano, Hot Sauce de Arbol y Ancho, Ranchero Sauce and/or Pico De Gallo. Top it off with a little cheese and you’ll have yourself a quick and delicious soup.
Black beans are beneficial to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. First off, vegetarians will benefit from the high-protein content without the saturated fat that comes with animal proteins. They also contain a high iron content that some vegetarians tend to lack. Non-vegetarians and vegetarians will benefit from the high fiber content that improves digestion and helps to remove toxins. Both will benefit due to the fact that black beans are helpful with inflammation and lowering cholesterol by keeping the arteries clear of plaque. Another amazing quality of these little black gems is their high antioxidant content, which is the highest amount of any legume. Antioxidants are what keep us young.
Easy Homemade Black Beans Recipe:
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Organic Dried Black Beans
- 12 plus 6 Cups Filtered Water
- 1/2 White or Red Onion
- 4 - 6 Whole Garlic Cloves
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Peppers Flakes or 2 -3 whole dried chilies like new Mexico, habanero, ancho or up o 10 Arbol
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt or to taste
Other additions you might add:
- Epazote
- Cumin
- Bay Leaf
- Oregano
- Roasted Poblano
- Cilantro
- Bell Peppers - green, red or orange
- Jalapeno Peppers
- White or Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
-
In a 5 1/2 quart pot, put a small hand full of beans in the pot one handful at a time to make sure there are no rocks.
Rinse the beans and add the water, onion, garlic and chilies.
-
Bring to a boil then turn down to medium-low.
-
Cover and cook for about 45 minutes.
-
Check to see if you need to add more water, then cook for another 45 minutes or longer, checking on water levels.
-
Add water as needed. You want the beans to be free-flowing.
-
* Add Sea Salt AT THE END or they will be tough.
-
Taste to see if they are soft if so, add the salt.
-
Let cook for 5 - 10 more minutes to infuse the salt into the beans.
Recipe Notes
* It depends on how old the beans are as to how long it will take to cook, older beans will take longer. * If you have a problem with gas after eating beans, try soaking dried beans in water for at least eight hours before cooking to reduce gas formation. Or, place beans in a large saucepan with cold water about 2 inches above the beans, cover and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let them sit for an hour. After the hour, turn the stove to medium-high heat for about an hour or until beans are soft. Adding water as needed.
Health benefits:
Black beans are high in cholesterol-lowering dietary fiber, 1 cup of cooked beans provides you with over 1/2 of your daily requirements and reduces blood cholesterol that helps prevent heart disease. The fiber supports the digestive tract and the colon, which helps constipation, diverticulitis and other gastrointestinal disorders. They also maintain normal blood sugar levels, helping to prevent diabetes. Black beans are a very good meat substitute because of their 15 grams of protein in 1 cup and contain only trace amounts of saturated fat and no cholesterol. They contain phytochemicals, substances found only in plant foods that help fight cancer and other chronic diseases. They increase energy with the good amounts of iron in them and have more antioxidant activity than other types of beans. They neutralize cell-damaging free radicals that may help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.
