Frijoles Negros (Cuban Black Beans)
Updated Oct. 11, 2023
- Total Time
- 2 hours 40 minutes, plus soaking time
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound dried black beans, rinsed thoroughly
- 1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½large white onion, chopped
- 1green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 to 5garlic cloves, crushed
- 1bay leaf
- ¼cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½large white onion, finely chopped
- 1green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1bay leaf
- ½teaspoon cumin
- ½teaspoon oregano
- 1teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1and ½ teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 2tablespoons sherry vinegar
- ½cup dry white wine
- ¼cup green olives stuffed with pimentos, thinly sliced
- 1teaspoon sugar
- Cooked white rice for serving (optional)
For the Beans
For the Sofrito
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
266 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 294 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large pot, soak beans overnight in 10 cups of water.
- Step 2
Add 1 tablespoon oil, the onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves and bay leaf to beans, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour, checking regularly and skimming the foam that forms on top.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, make the sofrito. Warm remaining ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the half onion, 1 bell pepper and 3 garlic cloves and sauté for about 5 minutes until soft. Add 1 bay leaf, cumin, oregano, black pepper and salt, and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Step 4
Add the sofrito to beans. Stir in sherry vinegar, wine and olives, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 1 to 1½ hours, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened and cooked through. Remove both bay leaves, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and add sugar. Serve as soup or a side dish, or over white rice.
Private Notes
Comments
Melissa Clark (NYT) says:
If you’ve ever cooked beans for hours without them softening, it’s probably because you’re using old beans, or you’ve got hard (mineral-rich) water, or there’s an acidic ingredient in the pot, which can slow down cooking. Using distilled water solves the hard water problem. (And soaking your beans in salt water before cooking not only adds flavor, it can also help them cook more quickly.)
My grandfather gave me his hammer. But the wood handle broke so I replaced it with another. Then the hammer head wore out, and I replaced it with a new one. I still use my grandfather's hammer. Many of the comments on these recipes remind me of that old story. Cooks replace most of the ingredients with what they happen to have on hand and change the cooking directions, but they still critique the original recipe. That's the nature of cooks and cooking, I guess, but it amuses me.
Ana Sofia Palaez--perhaps you can share more recipes from the handful of faded index cards that your grandparents left behind? This dish was wonderful! I did find your blog and look forward to trying some of the traditional recipes. For anyone interested, it's hungrysofia.com.
I made this with canned beans (modifying cooking times/methods accordingly), and it was delicious.
Does anyone know how to make this recipe in a slow cooker when you soak the hard beans overnight beforehand?
I’ve made this recipe, nearly exactly as written, many times and it has never failed me! I sometimes add 1-2 jalapeño peppers. I typically cook the beans the day before and then the soffitto step the following day. I use any of the heirloom Rancho Gordo black beans and they are absolutely delicious.