Frijoles Negros (pronounced free-ho-less neh-gross) are my favorite type of beans! They are popular in the Caribbean and all over Latin America. Frijoles Negros make a weekly appearance in my meals and I never get tired of them. Although these beans are not uniquely Colombian, they are my preferred way of cooking beans. I like them full of flavor and with very little liquid.
This is controversial, but yes, I use canned beans :). I know this makes my parents *cringe* because they prefer dry beans, but canned beans just cook so much faster and still taste great!
What You’ll Need:
- 3 cans of black beans
- 1 cup of loosely packed fresh cilantro
- 1 cup of veggie broth
- ½ cup of finely diced red onion
- ½ cup of water
- ⅓ cup of diced green onion
- ¼ cup of chopped cherry tomatoes
- Juice from ½ of a lemon
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons of minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
- 1 teaspoon of vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of dry cilantro
- ½ teaspoon of dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon of cumin
Directions:
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and coat the pan with the olive oil, garlic, and butter.
- Once the pan is warm and the garlic becomes fragrant, add the diced green onions.
- Meanwhile, use a can opener to open the canned beans.
- Drain and rinse (Note: I like to pour the beans into a mesh strainer and place them under the faucet until all the canned liquid is gone and until no more bubbles form among the beans).
- The pan should now be hot, add the black beans to the pot and mix them in to coat them in the olive oil mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add the veggie broth and water, red onion, salt, pepper, onion powder, dry cilantro, oregano, hot sauce, and cumin. Stir to combine.
- Let all the flavors cook for about 7-10 minutes keeping an eye to ensure the liquid remains and that the heat doesn’t dry out the beans.
- Remove from heat and stir in the fresh cilantro, tomato, and juice of ½ a lemon.
- Yields 6-8 servings.
