Cuban Black Beans with Red Pepper Sofrito
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking.
Slow-simmered black beans turn silky and deeply flavoured with a garlicky red pepper sofrito, finished with a bright hit of vinegar and fresh coriander.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Soak. Cover 450 g dried black beans with 2400 ml cold water in a large pot and leave to soak overnight.
- 2
Simmer. Next day, without draining, add 1 tbsp olive oil, the chopped onion, chopped red pepper, crushed garlic and a bay leaf; bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 1 hour, skimming off any foam.
- 3
Sofrito. In a separate pan, warm 60 ml olive oil and soften the finely chopped onion, pepper and garlic for about 5 minutes, then stir in a bay leaf, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp oregano, 1 tsp pepper and 1½ tsp salt and cook for 2 minutes.
- 4
Combine. Scrape the sofrito into the beans, add 2 tbsp cider vinegar, bring back to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 60-90 minutes, stirring often, until creamy and slightly thickened.
- 5
Finish. Discard both bay leaves, season to taste and stir in 1 tsp sugar off the heat.
- 6
Serve. Scatter with 2 tbsp chopped coriander and pepper strips, and serve over rice or as a soup.
Storage
Keep covered in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze, and reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water to loosen. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why it's healthy
- Total fat: 28.6 % of energy (limit ≤ 30%)
- Saturated fat: 4.3 % of energy (limit < 10%)
- Free sugars: 0.7 % of energy (limit < 10%)
- Salt: 1.1 g (limit ≤ 1.7 g)
- Fibre or fruit & veg: 14 g fibre / 59 g veg (limit ≥ 3.7 g fibre or 80 g fruit & veg)
Per serving, worked out from the nutrition table against our WHO-based rule. Not endorsed by WHO.
Equipment
- large heavy pot with lid
- large frying pan
- wooden spoon
- slotted spoon or ladle for skimming
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 296 kcal |
| Protein | 13.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 40.8 g |
| of which sugars | 3.9 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 9.4 g |
| of which saturates | 1.4 g |
| Fibre | 14 g |
| Salt | 1.1 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
4.6 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
