Frijoles Negros (Flavorful Black Bean Soup)
While Mexican frijoles negros are typically cooked with epazote, onion, and salt, this recipe calls for the the additional step of simmering the cooked black beans with a sofrito mixture made up of onion, garlic bell peppers, and other ingredients and aromatics to infuse even more flavor into frijoles.
Ingredients
- 8 cups cooked black beans canned or homemade
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 onion finely diced
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small bell pepper sliced legthwise into 1/4-inch strips
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup Manzanilla olives with 2 tablespoons of brine
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Start with cooked black beans. For this recipe, you can either use canned black beans or cook them yourself. This is a great time to use my easy slow-cooker recipe because it works with any variety of dry beans, including frijoles negros.
- Prepare ingredients for the sofrito. Sofrito serves as the flavorful foundation for these black beans. This version calls for chopped onion, minced garlic, and sliced bell peppers.
- Sauté sofrito ingredients. Heat a large, deep pan over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil and then add onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic cloves. Sauté ingredients until onions become translucent, for about 5-10 minutes.PRO TIP: Remember to move ingredients frequently so that they don’t burn. If you notice anything cooking too quickly, lower your heat.
- Add beans and aromatics. Add cooked black beans with bean broth, tomato sauce, bay leaves, olives with brine, and salt, if necessary. Mix well and then using a bean masher, lightly mash some of the beans. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Bring beans to a boil over medium heat for about 10 minutes, then lower to lowest setting, loosely cover (leave a small opening with the lid) and simmer for at least 30 minutes.PRO TIP: If you have time to simmer your beans for an hour (or longer), they will develop even more flavor. I like to cook mine for 1 to 2 hours when time permits. Also, the amount of salt required for this recipe will depend on whether you use homemade or store-bought black beans, so taste your frijoles throughout the process and adjust salt when necessary. Allow flavors to settle for at least half an hour before adding more salt because sometimes it takes time to be able to taste the salt.
- Serve and enjoy. Serve frijoles negros alongside rice and sliced avocado for an easy vegetarian meal, or with your favorite protein.
A Note from Lola
A NOTE ON BLACK BEANS
- If you're cooking the black beans from scratch, I recommend using my tried and true recipe for Frijoles de la Olla, which works well with any variety of dried beans. I prefer this method because dried black beans take longer to cook than other types of beans.
- If you're making black beans on the stovetop, bring 2 cups of black beans and 10 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Allow to boil for about 30 minutes, then lower to lowest setting and cover partially. Simmer for about 3-4 hours. Check every hour or so to make sure there is enough water covering the beans by 3 inches and add more if necessary. Add salt in the final hour of cooking.
- PRO TIP: If you have time to simmer your beans for an hour (or longer), they will develop even more flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 146kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 8gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 53mgPotassium: 344mgFiber: 8gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 264IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 2mg
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