Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans Recipe

Name: Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 cups dried black beans; 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) water; 2-3 fresh sprigs oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried; 3 bay leaves; 6 small or 3 large sage leaves; 2 teaspoons salt; 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 yellow onions, chopped; 2 chopped peppers – bell pepper, Anaheim, or jalapeño (your choice, depending on taste for heat), seeds, stems and ribs discarded; 6 cloves crushed garlic; 2 tablespoons Ancho red chili sauce, or chili powder or Tabasco to taste*; 1-2 teaspoons of puréed chipotle in adobo, chipotle Tabasco, or chipotle powder (to taste); 1 tablespoon cumin, (crushed whole toasted cumin seed is best, if possible); 3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate or 1/2 cup fresh orange juice; Juice of 1 lime; 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar; Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

I do believe these are the best black beans I've ever eaten in my life.

My friend Suzanne has been teaching me some of her favorite recipes this summer (lucky me!), and this spicy black bean recipe from the fabulous Field of Greens Cookbook is one she couldn't wait to share.

Suzanne usually makes a big batch for her family (husband and three hungry teenagers included) with enough for some leftovers during the week.

The beans have layers of chili flavor, balanced with zesty orange, lime, and cilantro. They are spicy, but you can control the level to your taste, depending on which and how much chili to include.

How To Cook Dried Beans

Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans

Cook Time 2 hrs

Total Time 2 hrs

Servings 8 servings

Adapted from a recipe in the Fields of Greens cookbook.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

4 cups dried black beans
2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) water
2 to 3 fresh sprigs oregano or 1 tablespoon dried
3 bay leaves
6 small (or 3 large) sage leaves
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 chopped peppers (bell pepper, Anaheim, or jalapeno—your choice, depending on taste for heat), seeds, stems, and ribs discarded
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons Ancho red chili sauce or chili powder or Tabasco, to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons pureed chipotle in adobo, chipotle Tabasco, or chipotle powder, to taste
1 tablespoon cumin, crushed whole toasted cumin seed is best, if possible
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate or 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Soak the beans (optional):

Rinse and sort the beans, discarding any stones or shriveled beans. You can soak the beans overnight in cold water (cover with several inches of water) OR pour enough boiling water over them to cover by a few inches and soak them for an hour OR skip the pre-soaking step.

Soaking will speed up the cooking process. If you soak, discard the soaking liquid after soaking.
Cook the beans:

Add beans to a large pot with 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) of water. Add oregano, bay leaves, and sage. Bring the beans to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.

Cook until the beans are soft, but not quite done. The time will vary depending on how large, dry, or old your beans are, and if you have pre-soaked them, from anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half.
Sauté onions and peppers, add spices:

While the beans are cooking, sauté onions and peppers in olive oil until soft. Add chili sauce, chili powder, and/or chili purée, cumin, and garlic. Sauté until spices are fragrant.
Fish out and discard the bay leaves, stems of oregano, and sage leaves from the pot of beans:

Remove, but reserve, extra cooking liquid until there is about 1/2-inch of liquid above beans.
Add the onion mixture and salt to the pot of beans. Cook another hour:

Or so until thickened. Add reserved liquid if needed.
Add half of the orange juice, and simmer:

Adjust chili heat at this point – you may or may not want to add more of your chili paste.

Just before serving, add remaining orange juice, lime juice, and vinegar. Salt to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve with corn tortillas, and/or rice, sour cream, and salsa.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
433	Calories
9g	Fat
70g	Carbs
22g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	433
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g	11%
Saturated Fat 1g	7%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 610mg	27%
Total Carbohydrate 70g	25%
Dietary Fiber 17g	60%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 22g
Vitamin C 36mg	178%
Calcium 169mg	13%
Iron 6mg	35%
Potassium 1638mg	35%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.