By Dawn Hilton-Williams a.k.a. The Vegucator
One of the top three types of beans in the world are black beans — and because of that, they’re widely available. All the ingredients in this recipe are easily sourced (even in general stores and corner markets). One cup of black beans boasts 14 grams of protein, 17 grams of fiber, lots of other nutrients, and like all other plants, have zero cholesterol.
Serves up to 8 | Kitchen to table – 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 (15-ounce) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup yellow or white onions, finely diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil (2 tablespoons of water can be substituted here)
- 1 (15-ounce) can of fire roasted or regular diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
- 6 cups water
- 1 tablespoon cane sugar or 1 1/2 teaspoons agave nectar (optional but recommended)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher alt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Directions
- Over medium heat, add oil, onions, garlic and cook about 4 minutes or until translucent
- Drop heat to medium low, add tomato paste and all dried spices (except for the sugar or agave and chopped cilantro) and cook about 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly
- Add diced tomatoes, sugar, water then stir and allow mixture to come to a steady rolling boil for about 4 minutes
- Add rinsed and drained black beans, stir to combine, place lid and let cook for 20-25 minutes
- Remove from heat, taste (carefully) and check for consistency, add cilantro, stir, serve and enjoy!
Pro Tips
- If you like thicker stew, grab a potato masher and do a good mash in a corner of your pot then stir
- If you’d like a thinner, soup-like stew, add more water in 1/4 cup increments
- If you’d prefer to use vegetable stock, check for sodium content, remove salt from recipe and replace water with the vegetable stock
- If you are diabetic, substitute the sugar for the agave nectar, as Agave has a glycemic index of 17 and doesn’t cause insulin spike