Cuban Black Beans

Sauté Vegetables: Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onions, scallions, jalapeños, and bell peppers. Then season with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4-5 minutes.

Add Garlic and Seasonings: Add in the garlic, cumin, oregano, coriander, and smoked paprika. Sauté, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add Black Beans, Liquid, and Bay Leaves: Dump in the black beans, water or broth, and then add the bay leaves. Season again lightly with salt and pepper.

Bring to Boil, then Simmer: Bring the black beans to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.

Cover and Cook Black Beans: Cover the pot of black beans and let them simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove Cover and Continue to Simmer: Remove cover and continue to simmer the beans, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated.

Adjust Consistency: Taste the beans and adjust the consistency as you see fit using one of the methods below:Soupy black beans: If you would like your black beans to have a more “soup-y” appearance, adjust consistency with a bit more water or broth. Thick black beans: If you would like to thicken the black beans, remove about 1/4 of the beans from the pot and use potato masher or food processor to mash them. Once mashed, stir the mashed beans back into the pot.

Add Herbs and Adjust to Taste: Stir fresh cilantro into cuban black beans.Grab a spoon and give the beans a taste, then adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper, plus vinegar and sugar if using.

Serve Cuban Black Beans: Transfer the beans to a large serving bowl or serve over rice and garnish with more cilantro, green onions, lime wedges, if using. Enjoy!