Vegan Frijoles Negros (Black Beans)

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 02/8/23
Frijoles negros black beans recipe

​The Spruce / Anastasiia Tretiak

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 3 hrs 30 mins
Total: 3 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
186 Calories
5g Fat
27g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 186
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 58mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 6g 22%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 8mg 38%
Calcium 61mg 5%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 605mg 13%
*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.)

Frijoles negros (black beans) are a staple of Mexican cuisine and are simple to make vegetarian as well as vegan. This vegan black beans recipe is super flavorful and simple to prepare, although cooking the beans does take some time and a few steps. Vegan black beans make for a great side dish to any Mexican meal or a filling for black bean burritos.

Black beans don't really need to be soaked, and some chefs strongly prefer not to soak them. The choice is yours—you can soak the beans or skip this step, especially if you don't have enough time.

If you've never had black beans cooked from scratch, you're missing out. Fresh frijoles negroes are so much better than anything that comes from a can.

This recipe comes from "The Compassionate Cook Cookbook."

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried black beans

  • 2 medium green bell peppers, halved, divided

  • 8 cups water

  • 1 medium onion, quartered

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 bay leaf

  • Salt, to taste

  • 1/4 cup dry white wine

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for black beans
    ​The Spruce / Anastasiia Tretiak

  2. If you are soaking the beans, place the black beans, 1 green bell pepper, and 8 cups of water in a large soup or stock pot and set aside to allow to soak for 8 hours or overnight. If you are not soaking the beans, combine these ingredients and proceed to the next step.

    Black beans in stockpot
    ​The Spruce / Anastasiia Tretiak

  3. Bring the beans, pepper, and water to a boil, then immediately turn the heat to a simmer and cook, covered for 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are almost tender. 

    Boil
    ​The Spruce / Anastasiia Tretiak

  4. Prepare a sauce, called sofrito, by combining the remaining green bell pepper, the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, and a little of the cooking water in a blender. Blend on low until the mixture is smooth.

    Prepare sofrito
    ​The Spruce / Anastasiia Tretiak

  5. Add the sofrito to the beans. Bring to a boil again, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer.

    Add sofrito
    ​The Spruce / Anastasiia Tretiak

  6. Add salt, wine, vinegar, and sugar. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the bean mixture becomes thick, about 2 more hours.

    Add salt and wine
    ​The Spruce / Anastasiia Tretiak

  7. Add olive oil immediately before serving. Serve over steamed rice.

    Beans in pot
    ​The Spruce / Anastasiia Tretiak

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

  • Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.