Step 1

Heat a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil, diced onion and a pinch of salt.  Cook until onion is soft and beginning to brown.  Add in minced garlic and cook for another minute or so.

Step 2

Pour the cans of beans plus bean liquid into the pan.  I like to drain off just a tiny bit of liquid from each can but keep most of the liquid in there.  Add in all the spices and stir well.

Step 3

Let beans cook for 5-10 minutes, just to make sure you get as much flavor as you can from the spices.  This step is optional, but I like to take the back of my wooden spoon, or a potato masher and give the beans a light mash.  You don’t want to make refried beans but I think it creates a nice sauce if some of them are mashed up.

Step 4

You can always add extra bean liquid or water if you want the to be soupier.  If you want them to have a thicker consistency, cook them a bit longer and mash them up more.