Cuban Style Black Beans

black beans

🥗Healthier: lentils

💰Cheaper: pinto beans

Lentils are lower in calories and pinto beans are more affordable.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Avocado oil has healthy fats while canola is often cheaper.

red wine vinegar

🥗Healthier: apple cider vinegar

💰Cheaper: white vinegar

Apple cider vinegar offers similar acidity with potential health benefits.

cilantro

🥗Healthier: parsley

💰Cheaper: spinach

Parsley provides a fresh flavor while spinach is more affordable.

Pour 1 pound of dried black beans into a heavy pot, checking for any pebbles or debris.

Add 1 green bell pepper cut into chunks to the pot with the beans.

Pour in 8 cups of water, cover the pot, and turn the heat to high until it comes to a boil.

Once boiling, let it boil for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the beans soak for 1 hour.

After soaking, turn the heat to medium and let the beans simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

While the beans are simmering, dice the yellow onion and green bell pepper for the aromatics.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat, then add the diced green bell pepper and onion, cooking until softened.

Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to the vegetables while cooking.

Once the vegetables are softened, add 5 minced garlic cloves and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Add 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, 1.5 teaspoons salt, and 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano to the pan, crushing the oregano before adding.

Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 3 bay leaves to the pan with the aromatics.

Remove the chunks of green bell pepper from the pot of beans and discard them.

Add the cooked aromatics and spices into the pot with the beans and stir.

Cook the beans for another hour, stirring occasionally and testing for tenderness.

After an hour, add 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of white wine to the pot and stir.

If the beans have too much liquid, leave the lid off and increase the heat to reduce the liquid, or keep the lid on if the consistency is satisfactory.

Cook for an additional 15 minutes before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary