pantry friendly

This foolproof recipe yields perfectly tender and delicious black beans. Make a pot and enjoy black beans all week! No need to soak the beans before using. Recipe yields 6 cups beans (the equivalent of 4 cans); you can freeze leftovers or cut the recipe in half.

How to Cook Black Beans

red onion, chopped

garlic,

bay leaves

olive oil

fine sea salt

cumin

orange

red pepper flakes (omit

water**, more if needed

cilantro,

lime juice

First, pick through your black beans for debris (sometimes tiny rocks can sneak in). Place the beans in a fine mesh colander or sieve and rinse very well. Pour the beans into a large Dutch oven or saucepan (4 quarts or larger in capacity).

Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, olive oil, salt, cumin, orange zest and red pepper flakes (if using) to the pot. Pour in the water.

Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Remove the lid and reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Give the beans a stir to make sure none are stuck to the bottom of the pot, and set a timer for 1 hour. Leave the pot uncovered and adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer (you should see several small bubbles popping to the surface at any given moment).

Once the timer goes off, test a couple of beans by using a fork to press them against the side of the pot. If they&#8217;re easy to press through, taste a few (carefully! they&#8217;re hot!) to see if they&#8217;re sufficiently plump, tender and delicious.

Otherwise, continue cooking, testing in 15 to 30 minute intervals as needed, until they&#8217;re done. If you&#8217;re running low on liquid, add water in 1-cup increments so the beans are covered at all time. (As mentioned in the post, if your beans are old, they can take several hours to cook and require a lot more water, and some very old beans may never cook through.)

Once the beans are very tender and tasty, you can increase the heat a little to reduce the cooking liquid into a more gravy-like consistency, about 5 to 15 minutes (it will continue to thicken up as the beans cool).

Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully remove the orange zest and both bay leaves. Use a fork to press the garlic against the side of the bowl to break it up. Add the cilantro, if using, and lime juice. Stir to combine. Season to taste with additional salt, if needed. Use as desired.

Allow leftover beans to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze leftover beans for several months.***

You are 110% correct on da water. I use bottled water. and a slow cooker on low 7ta eight hours. den leave it on warm all day .  smash wit a fork some beans against da side to thicken   sometimes I add a remigrated acne chili wit da water adds a nice flavor  Never tried bay leaf or orange but. will soon   Its great to see a twist on tradition thank you.    Mr. Joseph !!!

Hi Kate, 

I love your recipes. The tabouleh has been out of this world!! Anyways, wondering if you've tried this in a pressure cooker? Any additional tips if taking that approach? I plan on giving it a go so I will share anything Iearn here as well...

This recipe worked beautifully in the pressure cooker! I cooked them on high pressure for 32 minutes. I always cook beans the shortest time, then simmer for a bit until tender. My pressure cooker has "simmer" and "keep warm" functions so it is more like an Instapot than a traditional pressure cooker. The only things I changed: I used regular tap water. I did not add cilantro at the end because my daughter is a cilantro-hater. I think she was switched at birth! Like most cilantro-haters, she says it tastes like soap.

Also, my daughter used the beans to make her signature black bean chili--worked very well!

This recipe sounds fabulous, love the addition of orange zest. Beans are something I am trying to eat a lot more of! I admit I had a bad experience years ago with the beans staying "hard" in a chili I made, so I switched to using canned beans. But after having success with making refried beans from scratch I was back to cooking dried beans. And much more economical! I'll always wonder why the beans I cooked years ago wouldn't soften.

Thank you, C&amp;K! Can't wait to try. I always learn so much from your recipes - there is so much useful detail. Just made your 30 minute rice recipe for the millionth (almost) time today - it's foolproof!!

Just reading the description and recipe is making my mouth water. I've made black beans many, many times both on the stove and in the Instant Pot. And now I am going to quit soaking and start adding the salt when they're cooking. Great time saver!

I cook mine pretty much the same, no soak, no salt, add seasonings but I us the Instant Pot and they come out great.

I made black beans over the weekend almost to the T except used a white onion because that’s what I had. I did not use red chili flakes but used 12 oz. of Ortega chili’s and chipotle chili powder. Neither are very hot but add great flavor. I also added a half of a cup of fresh squeezed orange juice at the end of cooking.

What a fantastic and informative article! Answered all my questions and frustrations and way more. Thank you Kate!

Hello Cookie and Kate!
I'm nearly 75, been cooking beans from scratch for over 50 years, and these are THE BEST BLACK BEANS EVER! 
Thank you so much for this recipe and all the research you did to make it perfect!!
Cathryn in Corvallis

The BEST black beans I’ve ever had, let alone cooked myself. I can’t stop eating them!

I'm a huge fan and use your cookbook and online recipes almost every day. As a vegetarian for almost 50 years, I love beans! However I was shocked last year to be diagnosed with osteoporosis in my lumbar spine &amp; hip joints, so I've gotten serious about building bone naturally. (Highly recommend "The Healthy Bones Nutrition Plan &amp; Cookbook," by mother &amp; daughter team Kelly &amp; Kelly.) I now soak all my dried beans, nuts and seeds to "Disarm Anti-Nutrients in Plant-Based Foods," as one chapter is entitled.

These beans are EPIC!  They are off-the-charts delicious!  I will be making them frequently.  Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!!!!

Made these in my crock pot and it was so easy! And the beans have such great flavor! Made enough to freeze for later!

Being cuban, i found this recipe delicious.  Not my mom's recipe, but nothing can ever be!! just a quick note, in our family, we leave the bay leaves in.  when dishing out the beans (or anything with bay leaves), it is considered good luck if your the one who got the bay leaf!!

The beans were flavorful but next time I will add a jalapeño and cover the pot while simmering.   This was the first time I cooked beans uncovered and I think the beans cook more thoroughly when covered.  I appreciated all the thoughtful notes in the recipe explaining the "why's" behind the instructions and the InstaPot challenges (..yes)

This was my first time attempting dry black beans and it was a huge success! This recipe is fantastic! It did take me more like 2 - 2.5 hours cooking time and probably 10 cups of water, (don’t know how old my beans were), but it was so worth it. So easy and delicious. The orange ended up cooking right down into the beans and I didn’t remove it (Bc I couldn’t find it) - didn’t make a difference. My 15 year old daughter commented at least 5 times on how yummy they were with the lime cilantro rice (which by the way was also excellent). Definitely the BEST recipe for dry black beans I’ve ever eaten. Thank you for posting!

Just made these beans tonight and followed the recipe exactly but with low expectations. I mean, I've been cooking dried beans for decades and they're just beans, right? Wrong! These beans are fabulous, Kate. Wonderful combination of flavors! Can't wait to share the recipe with several friends -- giving all credit to you, of course. Do you know whether this type of no-soaking recipe works for garbanzos, Great Northern, and other beans? Got any ideas about seasoning these other types of beans? 

Thanks for a great recipe.

Have you tested adding Baking Soda to a batch? I saw in your post about Hummus that you use it there. I read that adding a pinch helps break them down a bit faster.
I grew up watching my mother make them on the stove all the time! We used to drink the cooking liquid before the beans were completely done for the nutrients!
I have also done them in the Crock Pot if I want to be able to let them go without scorching risks, Piece of cake!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/ZAaXCIxf.mp4

Watch how to cook the BEST black beans from scratch in this short recipe video! These black beans are perfectly tender and full of flavor.

A savory steakhouse-style sauce that outshines the bottled brand.

The Ultimate 5-Minute Steak Sauce

ketchup

Worcestershire sauce

water

balsamic vinegar

raisins

Place the following ingredients in a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment in this order: 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/3 cup water, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and 1/4 cup raisins. Blend or process until very smooth. 

Vegan Easy 6-Ingredient Lentil Burgers are the ultimate high-protein, plant-based burgers. Kid-friendly using affordable ingredients. Foolproof recipe. Oil-free option and gluten-free.

Easy 6-Ingredient Lentil Burgers

red lentils

garlic

large shallot (or 1 small onion, small dice (about 1/3 cup))

carrots (about 3 small)

tomato paste

cilantro

salt (or

black pepper

Neutral flavored cooking oil (for pan frying (optional))

Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Soak the lentils in enough water to cover by about 2 inches for two hours. Rinse and drain thoroughly.

Place the ingredients into a canister: Add the drained lentils, garlic, shallot, carrot, tomato paste, cilantro, salt, and black pepper to a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are well combined and the mixture holds together, scraping the sides of the canister as needed.

Shape the patties: Scoop out ¼ cup of the mixture at a time. Shape into patties, about ½ inch thick.

Option 1 Bake: Bake the patties for 10 minutes. Flip them over and bake for about 10 minutes more, or until crispy on both sides.

Option 2 Pan-Fry: Heat enough oil in a large nonstick skillet to reach about halfway up the sides of the patties. Cook the patties for about 4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. (You may need to do this in batches so as not to overcrowd the skillet.) Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.

For serving: Serve with a bun and desired toppings; a side salad; or oven roasted potatoes.

https://embed.mediavine.com/videos/yvnnluxt4kx70bwcuds5

This red lentil curry recipe was inspired by Naturally Ella. It&#x27;s packed with leafy greens, thickened with dairy-free coconut milk, spiced with a mix of Indian anti-inflammatory ingredients, and finished with some sliced avocado. This is a great make-ahead meal and can keep in the fridge for up to week.

Red Lentil and Spinach Masala

Olive Oil

Red Onion

Garlic

Fresh Ginger

Serrano Chili

Cumin

Garam Masala

Coriander

Diced Tomatoes

Sea Salt

Unsweetened Coconut Milk

Water

Red Lentils

Fresh Baby Spinach

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the Olive Oil (1 tablespoon). Saute the Red Onion (1) over medium-high heat until soft, 5 minutes.

Add the Garlic (2 clove), Fresh Ginger (1 inch), Serrano Chili (1), Ground Cumin (1 teaspoon), Garam Masala (1 teaspoon), Sea Salt (1 teaspoon) and Ground Coriander (1/4 teaspoon). Cook until very fragrant, 2 minutes.

Carefully pour in the Diced Tomatoes (1 can), scraping up any brown bits that formed on the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally​ until the liquid has reduced and the tomato chunks have softened​​​, 5 minutes.

Add the Unsweetened Coconut Milk (1 can) and Water (1 cup). Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the Red Lentils (1 cup) and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cook until the lentils are tender, 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Fold in the Fresh Baby Spinach (5 ounce) and cook until wilted, 3 minutes. Serve alongside coconut rice.

This Pumpkin Ginger Coconut Soup is creamy, cozy, and nourishing — made with canned pumpkin, carrots, mushrooms, and coconut milk for a dairy-free twist. Pantry- and budget-friendly, it’s perfect for easy weeknight meals or meal prep.

Healing Pumpkin Soup with Canned Pumpkin

pumpkin

onion

garlic cloves

baby bella mushrooms (quartered (about 7))

carrots (peeled and chopped to 1/2-inch slices)

vegetable bouillon cubes (or chicken bouillon (such as Maggie))

ginger

coconut powder (or canned coconut milk,

pumpkin seeds

In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water to boil then add in onions, garlic, mushrooms, and carrots. Cover and cook until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the pumpkin puree and coconut powder or canned coconut milk. Let simmer on low for 10 more minutes.

Once the carrots are soft enough that a fork can pierce through easily, add the grated ginger, then blend all ingredients with an immersion blender until creamy. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a regular blender, in batches)

Serve and garnish with more coconut milk if desired, and optional toasted pumpkin seeds or pepitas.

Absolutely delicious!!! I went back and made a second batch!! Pairs perfectly well with Havarti grilled cheese. I feel the pepitas are a must - and a bonus that they give more protein!! Bravo!!

I think it will be wonderful.  Question:  how much coconut milk should I use in place of the coconut powder and should I modify amount of water needed?  I've never used coconut powder so I'm totally unfamiliar with substitutions.

I made this tonight exactly as written and it was delicious. Served it with some crusty bread. My husband and my two year old also loved it. Next time I might add some miso just because I love that flavor but really this recipe is so good as is! My husband requested that I add this to our regular rotation

Top 5 pantry friendly recipes from across the web

The most viewed pantry friendly recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

How to Cook Black Beans

The Ultimate 5-Minute Steak Sauce

Easy 6-Ingredient Lentil Burgers

Red Lentil and Spinach Masala

Healing Pumpkin Soup with Canned Pu...

Top 5 pantry friendly recipes from across the web

The most viewed pantry friendly recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

How to Cook Black Beans

The Ultimate 5-Minute Steak Sauce

Easy 6-Ingredient Lentil Burgers

Red Lentil and Spinach Masala

Healing Pumpkin Soup with Canned Pu...

The most viewed pantry friendly recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine