Go Back
Print
Cuban-Style Black Beans

makes 6–8 cups; recipe adapted from a Lourdes Castro recipe in Food & Wine magazine (2009)

Servings: 8
Ingredients
Cooked black beans
  • 1 pound black beans, soaked overnight Rancho Gordo Midnight
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon salt sea salt or Kosher
Sofrito
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
  • ½ onion (white or yellow), small dice
  • ½ green or red bell pepper, small dice
  • 3 cloves garlic minced and mashed with 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons organic blackstrap molasses
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Toppings: sour cream, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, and/or lime wedges
Serve with: tortillas, quesadillas, tortilla chips, or cilantro rice
Instructions

  1. Ideally soak the beans and cook until just tender. Please see How to Cook Beans post. If you have an abundance of bean broth post cooking, drain some off to leave the beans just swimming, not submerged. If you used the exact 6 cups of water to cook the beans, you'll most likely have the perfect amount of bean broth.

Sofrito

  1. Warm oil in a frying pan, add the diced onion and green pepper, cook a couple minutes then add the garlic and continue to cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes total.

  2. Add this sofrito back to the cooked beans, along with the molasses, bay leaf, and vinegar. Bring to simmer and cook until liquid thickens, about 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf, taste and adjust seasoning by adding more salt and/or vinegar.

Recipe Notes / Tips
  • These beans get better with a little time on them, so they are great to make in advance. Keep refrigerated.
  • Serve with tortillas or chips, roasted sweet potato halves, or cilantro rice.