Miami Favorites — Cuban Black Beans

Enjoy this Cuban Black Beans recipe from my forthcoming book, Miami Vegan: Succulence and Sizzle in the 305.

Often served as a pork accompaniment, Cuban black beans deserve center stage.  They have a smokiness and richness all their own, thanks to a slow-cooking sofrito — a soulful sauté of onions, peppers and tomatoes. The only tinkering with tradition here is my addition of greens. Totally optional, but hey, you know I’m desperate to get you to eat your greens. They’re sustainable, nutrient-dense and anti-aging.

How to serve: Cuban eateries traditionally serve black beans as a side dish or paired with white rice and sautéed plantains. I like them as the main attraction, with a big green salad.

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 hot pepper, like a jalapeño, chopped
1 pound dried black beans, cooked
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon  smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 head kale or Swiss chard, sliced into skinny ribbons (aka chiffonade)
sea salt to taste

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until they start to sweat, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and both the sweet and hot pepper.

Stir to combine and reduce heat to medium. Cook the vegetables, occasionally stirring, for another 15 minutes, until they’re softened and aromatic. Add cumin, tomato paste and smoked paprika, and stir until combined, and vegetables have taken on a warm and rosy glow.

Stir in the black beans and about 1 cup of the bean cooking broth. Reduce heat to medium, set the pot lid on halfway, leaving a little steam vent. Cook the beans for an hour, longer if you’ve got the time. Add more bean broth, 1/2 cup at a time, if beans seem dry.  Aim for thick, not over-dry. The goal is a divine beanly sludge.

Stir in the sherry or cider vinegar. Remove from heat.

Add the chiffonade of kale or chard by the handful. Stir gently, letting the greens wilt into the beans.

Season generously with sea salt to taste.

Serves 6 to 8.

How to keep: Keeps covered and refrigerated for several days, and flavor improves over time.

Cuban Black Beans

Cuban eateries traditionally serve black beans as a side dish or paired with white rice and sautéed plantains. I like them as a main attraction, with a big green salad.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cuban

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions chopped
• 4 garlic cloves chopped
• 1 sweet red pepper chopped
• 1 hot pepper like a jalapeño, chopped
• 1 pound dried black beans cooked
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 head kale or Swiss chard sliced into skinny ribbons (aka chiffonade)
• sea salt to taste

Instructions

 

• In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until they start to sweat, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and both the sweet and hot pepper.
• Stir to combine and reduce heat to medium. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for another 15 minutes, until they're softened and aromatic. Add cumin, tomato paste and smoked paprika, and stir until combined, and vegetables have taken on a warm and rosy glow.
• Stir in the black beans and about 1 cup of the bean cooking broth. Reduce heat to medium, set the pot lid on halfway, leaving a little steam vent. Cook the beans for an hour, longer if you've got the time. Add more bean broth, 1/2 cup at a time, if beans seem dry. Aim for thick, not over-dry. The goal is a divine beanly sludge.
• Stir in the sherry or cider vinegar. Remove from heat.
• Add the chiffonade of kale or chard by the handful. Stir gently, letting the greens wilt into the beans.
• Season generously with sea salt to taste.

Keyword black beans, cuban black beans, cuban food

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