Step 1: Cleaning & Cooking the Beans
- 1 cup dried, black beans
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 bay leaves
To start the beans, first sort through to remove any stones. Rinse well and cover with cold water.
Once the beans have soaked for 8 hours, drain them, and place them into a medium-sized pot and cover with at least 2 times the amount of water. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Mince the garlic and add to the pot, along with the bay leaves.
Once the beans come to a boil, turn to medium-low and let simmer for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Skim the surface occasionally to remove any scum and check from time to time to make sure they are simmering, not boiling.
You may need to adjust the heat and add a bit of water if you notice the water level has fallen. After about an hour test the beans for doneness. Once the beans are almost done, add the salt. Once they are just cooked through, but not mushy, drain the beans and remove the bay leaves.
Step 2: Finishing the Beans
- 1/2 tsp chipotle pepper purée, or to taste*
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 1 cup coconut milk
- sea salt, to taste
To finish the beans, place them back into the same pot (or use a clean pot) and add the chipotle pepper purée, maple syrup, salsa, and coconut milk and stir to combine.
Note: Chipotle pepper purée is simply chipotles in adobo sauce that have been puréed into a paste.
Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom. Let simmer until the beans absorb most of the coconut milk — this should take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. As the coconut milk reduces, the mixture will get thicker. Once done, taste for seasoning — adding a touch more maple syrup and/or salt and pepper if needed.
Serve these delicious beans as a side dish, a dip — paired with Guacamole, salsa, and Cashew Sour Cream. They can even be baked with some grated Plant-Based Mozzarella on top and used in wraps, burritos, bowls etc. For the extra cheese sauce mentioned in the images above we used this sauce (Step 3) from this Quesadilla recipe.
Chef's Notes
Black beans are also known as turtle beans. Black beans hold their shape well during cooking and have a velvety texture.
All beans should be soaked prior to cooking. This helps to reduce the cooking time and also removes some of the gases, making them easier to digest. There are a few ways to soak beans. After sorting and rinsing, soak in cold water for no more than 8 hours, then rinse.
If you have forgotten to soak the beans in advance, bring them to a boil over high heat for about 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and continue with the recipe.
You can add aromatics and spices, but do not add salt or acidic ingredients in the early stages of cooking. They will toughen the skins and slow the cooking time.