Easy Homemade Black Beans Recipe From Scratch (Vegan)

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
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Updated on 06/9/21
Easy homemade black beans recipe

The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
226 Calories
4g Fat
37g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 226
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 636mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 14%
Dietary Fiber 7g 24%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 1mg 7%
Calcium 66mg 5%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 693mg 15%
*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.)

Never made homemade black beans from scratch before? Here's an easy way to add plenty of flavor to homemade black beans.

Serve with brown rice, or perhaps paired with a Spanish rice or Mexican rice, use to make burritos, or serve as a side for just about any meal. For something a bit more high protein, pair your homemade black beans with quinoa or kaniwa, instead of rice.

Lately we've been eating lots of homemade black beans topped with salsa alongside a little tofu scramble and topped with salsa for a big "huevos rancheros"-inspired protein-boost at breakfast. And who doesn't love an excuse to have salsa for breakfast? And a high-protein breakfast is always a good idea!

This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan. If you need it to be gluten-free, too, leave out the optional bouillon cube and check your vegetable broth to make sure there's no added or hidden gluten. And, cooked black beans keep fairly well, so there's no reason you can't make extra and keep them in the freezer in ready-to-go portions. 

Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound dried black beans

  • 6 cups vegetable broth, divided

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, or olive oil

  • 1 onion, diced small

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 vegetarian bouillon cube, optional

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste, optional

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or red wine vinegar

  • Cooked rice, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for homemade black beans
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  2. Sort and rinse the dry black beans, removing any impurities.

    Sort and rinse black beans
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  3. Add the beans and 2 cups of water (or broth) to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

    Add beans
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  4. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the beans and set aside. 

    Cover
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  5. Saute the onions and garlic in vegetable oil until onions are soft, about 4 to 6 minutes.

    Saute onions
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  6. Add the beans, remaining water (or broth), bay leaves, bouillon cube if using, oregano, hot sauce if using, salt, sugar, and balsamic vinegar.

    Add beans
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  7. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and allow to simmer over low heat for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until the beans are done cooking.

    Bring to boil
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  8. Give the beans an occasional stir from time to time while they are cooking. Keep in mind that once you turn off the heat and remove the pot from the heat, the beans will continue to cook a bit as they cool, so don't be tempted to overcook the beans, unless you are planning on using them for something where you want them extra soft, such as making homemade refried beans.  

    Give beans a stir
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  9. Be sure to remove and discard the bay leaves before serving. 

    Rice and beans
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak