Black Bean Puree
This recipe is the perfect make-ahead dish. It can be stored in the fridge for three to four days. It is a versatile recipe — serve it as a side dish, a condiment for tacos, a dip for tortilla chips or as a soup with spicy garlic shrimp (see notes for recipe) on the side. Use less liquid for a bean dip or more liquid to serve it as soup. This recipe was inspired by Food and Wine Magazine’s Sherried Black Bean Soup.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dried black beans
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 green bell pepper, core removed and rough chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion, rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or 2 teaspoons if you prefer beans a little salty
- 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped three to four times
Instructions
- Rinse and sort the beans to remove any undesirable pieces. Then, in a large pan, soak the beans with 8 cups of cold water for 6 to 8 hours or overnight and cover with a lid.
- When ready to cook and in a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pepper, onion and salt and saute until the vegetables are softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Once the vegetables are softened add the oregano, paprika and cumin to the pan. Stir in the spices to evenly cover and coat the vegetables. Cook for an additional 2 to 4 minutes or until fragrant.
- Drain the beans and then rinse with cold water. Place the beans with into the pan and cover with 6 cups of water. Bring the beans and vegetables to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer the beans with the lid tilted for 1 ½ hours or until soft. Stir occasionally and, if necessary, add water to keep the beans submerged.
- When the beans are finished cooking and are soft and tender, drain all but 1 ½ cups of cooking liquid. Be sure to reserve the additional cooking liquid.
- Add the cilantro to the beans. With an immersion blender (or a food processor or blender) puree the beans until smooth. Once the beans are smooth, add the vinegar and heat through at a low heat for five minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If the beans seem dry, add additional cooking liquid to the beans. Salt to taste and serve warm.
Notes
Click here for spicy shrimp recipe.
