Last week, after announcing my resolve to use more canned beans , my friend Rose emailed sharing her opposite, recently adopted stance: after using canned beans exclusively her entire life, she had started cooking beans from scratch, a batch of slow cooker black beans having showed her the light.
Never , she wrote, would she go back to canned.
Ha! What’s a girl to do?
Rose’s note reminded of the joys of cooking beans in the slow cooker (see Slow Cooker Gigante Beans ) and of perhaps a slow cooker’s strongest play: bean cookery!
I immediately pulled out my crockpot, dumped in a pound of dried black beans along with a few aromatics, covered it all with water, and let it cook way. Eight hours later, my beans were done, the house smelled fantastic, and I had 6 cups of super-seasoned, perfectly cooked beans on hand to use immediately or to freeze for future use.
My slow cooker black beans landed in these sweet potato burritos , a combination of two recipes: the filling for these sweet potato quesadillas , a longtime favorite recipe, and these homemade flour tortillas , a recipe I had not made in ages prior to this week, but which, like the dried beans, reminded me how much fun from-scratch cooking — sometimes — can be.
PS: Simple Black Bean Soup
Simplest Slow-Cooker Black Beans How-To
- Place a pound of dried black beans — no need to soak — into a slow cooker. Black beans, as you may remember from this Black Bean Soup post , never need to be (and in fact maybe shouldn’t be) soaked, regardless of how you cook them: slow cooker, Dutch oven, pressure cooker .
- Add aromatics , such as an onion, garlic, a bay leaf, all of which will impart the beans with good flavor. Fresh thyme is nice, too.
- Add salt : Opinions vary about when salt should (and should not) be added to beans, but I am of the belief salt does not impede the cooking process and that it adds flavor. I start with 2 teaspoons for a pound of bean, but always add more (often 2 teaspoons more) once the beans are cooked.
- Add water and olive oil, if you wish. Olive oil is something I always add to my stewy slow-cooker cooked beans ( see here ). I think it adds flavor, especially once the beans finish cooking and are cooling in the flavorful cooking liquid. Feel free to omit if you wish.
- Store beans in their cooking liquid. Beans freeze beautifully, too, in their cooking liquid. These deli quart containers are great for this purpose.
PS: Slow Cooker Gigante (or other white) Beans
PPS: Favorite Vegetarian Chili
Here’s the play-by-play : Gather your ingredients.
Place dried beans, onion half, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes into a slow cooker.
Add water and olive oil (optional), then close the lid.
Cook for 6 to 8 hours on high or…
… until the beans are cooked.
Store in quart containers. These deli quart containers (BPA-free) are great for this purpose.
Description
Notes:
Don’t be afraid to make these ahead of time, as they continue to develop more flavor as the beans sit in their cooking liquid.
Kosher Salt: I always use Diamond Crystal brand; use half as much if using Morton or fine sea salt.
Pepper flakes: if you like a little bit of spice, add the the chili flakes; if you don’t, omit or use less.
To make these in the Instant Pot , into the Instant Pot add all of the ingredients listed below along with 6 cups of water. Start with 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Turn the valve to sealing. Set the IP to Manual, High Pressure, 30 minutes. Let it release naturally for at least 20 minutes. Uncover. Taste. Add more salt (I often add 1 to 2 more teaspoons of salt) to taste.
Store beans in their cooking liquid. These containers are so handy for that purpose. They freeze well, too.
I love these beans paired with this Sweet Potato Taco Filling .
1 lb. dried black beans, no need to soak
1 half of a small onion, halved through the core to keep it intact
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, smashed and halved
2 to 4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste, see notes above
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 cup olive oil
- Place the beans, onion half, bay leaf, garlic, 2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt (I always use 3), pepper flakes (start with 1/2 teaspoon if you are sensitive to heat), and olive oil (if using) into a slow cooker. Cover with 8 cups of water. Cover pot. Cook on high heat for 6 to 8 hours or until the beans are done, but start checking at the 4-hour mark — all slow cookers are different and times might vary, too, depending on the age of your beans.
- Taste. Add more salt to taste 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Note: The beans develop more flavor as they cool in their cooking liquid, which will continue to season them.
- Store the beans in their cooking liquid. I love these deli quart containers for this purpose. I freeze the beans in their cooking liquid in these quart containers as well.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Beans
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Last week, after announcing my resolve to use more canned beans , my friend Rose emailed sharing her opposite, recently adopted stance: after using canned beans exclusively her entire life, she had started cooking beans from scratch, a batch of slow cooker black beans having showed her the light.
Never , she wrote, would she go back to canned.
Ha! What’s a girl to do?
Rose’s note reminded of the joys of cooking beans in the slow cooker (see Slow Cooker Gigante Beans ) and of perhaps a slow cooker’s strongest play: bean cookery!
I immediately pulled out my crockpot, dumped in a pound of dried black beans along with a few aromatics, covered it all with water, and let it cook way. Eight hours later, my beans were done, the house smelled fantastic, and I had 6 cups of super-seasoned, perfectly cooked beans on hand to use immediately or to freeze for future use.
My slow cooker black beans landed in these sweet potato burritos , a combination of two recipes: the filling for these sweet potato quesadillas , a longtime favorite recipe, and these homemade flour tortillas , a recipe I had not made in ages prior to this week, but which, like the dried beans, reminded me how much fun from-scratch cooking — sometimes — can be.
PS: Simple Black Bean Soup
Simplest Slow-Cooker Black Beans How-To
- Place a pound of dried black beans — no need to soak — into a slow cooker. Black beans, as you may remember from this Black Bean Soup post , never need to be (and in fact maybe shouldn’t be) soaked, regardless of how you cook them: slow cooker, Dutch oven, pressure cooker .
- Add aromatics , such as an onion, garlic, a bay leaf, all of which will impart the beans with good flavor. Fresh thyme is nice, too.
- Add salt : Opinions vary about when salt should (and should not) be added to beans, but I am of the belief salt does not impede the cooking process and that it adds flavor. I start with 2 teaspoons for a pound of bean, but always add more (often 2 teaspoons more) once the beans are cooked.
- Add water and olive oil, if you wish. Olive oil is something I always add to my stewy slow-cooker cooked beans ( see here ). I think it adds flavor, especially once the beans finish cooking and are cooling in the flavorful cooking liquid. Feel free to omit if you wish.
- Store beans in their cooking liquid. Beans freeze beautifully, too, in their cooking liquid. These deli quart containers are great for this purpose.
PS: Slow Cooker Gigante (or other white) Beans
PPS: Favorite Vegetarian Chili
Here’s the play-by-play : Gather your ingredients.
Place dried beans, onion half, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes into a slow cooker.
Add water and olive oil (optional), then close the lid.
Cook for 6 to 8 hours on high or…
… until the beans are cooked.
Store in quart containers. These deli quart containers (BPA-free) are great for this purpose.
Description
Notes:
Don’t be afraid to make these ahead of time, as they continue to develop more flavor as the beans sit in their cooking liquid.
Kosher Salt: I always use Diamond Crystal brand; use half as much if using Morton or fine sea salt.
Pepper flakes: if you like a little bit of spice, add the the chili flakes; if you don’t, omit or use less.
To make these in the Instant Pot , into the Instant Pot add all of the ingredients listed below along with 6 cups of water. Start with 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Turn the valve to sealing. Set the IP to Manual, High Pressure, 30 minutes. Let it release naturally for at least 20 minutes. Uncover. Taste. Add more salt (I often add 1 to 2 more teaspoons of salt) to taste.
Store beans in their cooking liquid. These containers are so handy for that purpose. They freeze well, too.
I love these beans paired with this Sweet Potato Taco Filling .
1 lb. dried black beans, no need to soak
1 half of a small onion, halved through the core to keep it intact
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, smashed and halved
2 to 4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste, see notes above
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 cup olive oil
- Place the beans, onion half, bay leaf, garlic, 2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt (I always use 3), pepper flakes (start with 1/2 teaspoon if you are sensitive to heat), and olive oil (if using) into a slow cooker. Cover with 8 cups of water. Cover pot. Cook on high heat for 6 to 8 hours or until the beans are done, but start checking at the 4-hour mark — all slow cookers are different and times might vary, too, depending on the age of your beans.
- Taste. Add more salt to taste 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Note: The beans develop more flavor as they cool in their cooking liquid, which will continue to season them.
- Store the beans in their cooking liquid. I love these deli quart containers for this purpose. I freeze the beans in their cooking liquid in these quart containers as well.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Beans
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Last week, after announcing my resolve to use more canned beans , my friend Rose emailed sharing her opposite, recently adopted stance: after using canned beans exclusively her entire life, she had started cooking beans from scratch, a batch of slow cooker black beans having showed her the light.
Never , she wrote, would she go back to canned.
Ha! What’s a girl to do?
Rose’s note reminded of the joys of cooking beans in the slow cooker (see Slow Cooker Gigante Beans ) and of perhaps a slow cooker’s strongest play: bean cookery!
I immediately pulled out my crockpot, dumped in a pound of dried black beans along with a few aromatics, covered it all with water, and let it cook way. Eight hours later, my beans were done, the house smelled fantastic, and I had 6 cups of super-seasoned, perfectly cooked beans on hand to use immediately or to freeze for future use.
My slow cooker black beans landed in these sweet potato burritos , a combination of two recipes: the filling for these sweet potato quesadillas , a longtime favorite recipe, and these homemade flour tortillas , a recipe I had not made in ages prior to this week, but which, like the dried beans, reminded me how much fun from-scratch cooking — sometimes — can be.
PS: Simple Black Bean Soup
Simplest Slow-Cooker Black Beans How-To
- Place a pound of dried black beans — no need to soak — into a slow cooker. Black beans, as you may remember from this Black Bean Soup post , never need to be (and in fact maybe shouldn’t be) soaked, regardless of how you cook them: slow cooker, Dutch oven, pressure cooker .
- Add aromatics , such as an onion, garlic, a bay leaf, all of which will impart the beans with good flavor. Fresh thyme is nice, too.
- Add salt : Opinions vary about when salt should (and should not) be added to beans, but I am of the belief salt does not impede the cooking process and that it adds flavor. I start with 2 teaspoons for a pound of bean, but always add more (often 2 teaspoons more) once the beans are cooked.
- Add water and olive oil, if you wish. Olive oil is something I always add to my stewy slow-cooker cooked beans ( see here ). I think it adds flavor, especially once the beans finish cooking and are cooling in the flavorful cooking liquid. Feel free to omit if you wish.
- Store beans in their cooking liquid. Beans freeze beautifully, too, in their cooking liquid. These deli quart containers are great for this purpose.
PS: Slow Cooker Gigante (or other white) Beans
PPS: Favorite Vegetarian Chili
Here’s the play-by-play : Gather your ingredients.
Place dried beans, onion half, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes into a slow cooker.
Add water and olive oil (optional), then close the lid.
Cook for 6 to 8 hours on high or…
… until the beans are cooked.
Store in quart containers. These deli quart containers (BPA-free) are great for this purpose.
Description
Notes:
Don’t be afraid to make these ahead of time, as they continue to develop more flavor as the beans sit in their cooking liquid.
Kosher Salt: I always use Diamond Crystal brand; use half as much if using Morton or fine sea salt.
Pepper flakes: if you like a little bit of spice, add the the chili flakes; if you don’t, omit or use less.
To make these in the Instant Pot , into the Instant Pot add all of the ingredients listed below along with 6 cups of water. Start with 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Turn the valve to sealing. Set the IP to Manual, High Pressure, 30 minutes. Let it release naturally for at least 20 minutes. Uncover. Taste. Add more salt (I often add 1 to 2 more teaspoons of salt) to taste.
Store beans in their cooking liquid. These containers are so handy for that purpose. They freeze well, too.
I love these beans paired with this Sweet Potato Taco Filling .
1 lb. dried black beans, no need to soak
1 half of a small onion, halved through the core to keep it intact
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, smashed and halved
2 to 4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste, see notes above
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 cup olive oil
- Place the beans, onion half, bay leaf, garlic, 2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt (I always use 3), pepper flakes (start with 1/2 teaspoon if you are sensitive to heat), and olive oil (if using) into a slow cooker. Cover with 8 cups of water. Cover pot. Cook on high heat for 6 to 8 hours or until the beans are done, but start checking at the 4-hour mark — all slow cookers are different and times might vary, too, depending on the age of your beans.
- Taste. Add more salt to taste 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Note: The beans develop more flavor as they cool in their cooking liquid, which will continue to season them.
- Store the beans in their cooking liquid. I love these deli quart containers for this purpose. I freeze the beans in their cooking liquid in these quart containers as well.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Beans
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Description
Notes:
Don’t be afraid to make these ahead of time, as they continue to develop more flavor as the beans sit in their cooking liquid.
Kosher Salt: I always use Diamond Crystal brand; use half as much if using Morton or fine sea salt.
Pepper flakes: if you like a little bit of spice, add the the chili flakes; if you don’t, omit or use less.
To make these in the Instant Pot , into the Instant Pot add all of the ingredients listed below along with 6 cups of water. Start with 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Turn the valve to sealing. Set the IP to Manual, High Pressure, 30 minutes. Let it release naturally for at least 20 minutes. Uncover. Taste. Add more salt (I often add 1 to 2 more teaspoons of salt) to taste.
Store beans in their cooking liquid. These containers are so handy for that purpose. They freeze well, too.
I love these beans paired with this Sweet Potato Taco Filling .
1 lb. dried black beans, no need to soak
1 half of a small onion, halved through the core to keep it intact
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, smashed and halved
2 to 4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste, see notes above
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 cup olive oil
- Place the beans, onion half, bay leaf, garlic, 2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt (I always use 3), pepper flakes (start with 1/2 teaspoon if you are sensitive to heat), and olive oil (if using) into a slow cooker. Cover with 8 cups of water. Cover pot. Cook on high heat for 6 to 8 hours or until the beans are done, but start checking at the 4-hour mark — all slow cookers are different and times might vary, too, depending on the age of your beans.
- Taste. Add more salt to taste 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Note: The beans develop more flavor as they cool in their cooking liquid, which will continue to season them.
- Store the beans in their cooking liquid. I love these deli quart containers for this purpose. I freeze the beans in their cooking liquid in these quart containers as well.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Beans
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2020/01/17/simplest-slow-cooker-black-beans/
I’ve done a 180. Last week I encouraged you to use canned beans ; this week I’m telling you to cook them from scratch AND, if you’re up for it, to roll your own flour tortillas.
Ignore me. Or don’t:
Earlier this week, for reasons I cannot explain, I made flour tortillas from scratch , something I did often years ago, but can’t justify making a priority anymore.
And then, with a full pot of slow cooker black beans on hand, I took my favorite quesadilla recipe down a different path: I made burritos instead, warming the homemade tortillas slightly, then rolling them with Boston lettuce, sour cream, a little grated Monterey Jack, the smoky sweet potato filling, a spoonful of those warm, creamy beans, and a big squeeze of lime.
When everything is made from scratch — the tortillas, the beans, the filling — there’s no way together it won’t be good. But even so, I was surprised by the combination, by both its freshness and heartiness, by how delicious and satisfying it all tasted as a whole.
Moreover, once everything is made — I know, I know, easier said than done — you have all the components on hand for a quick dinner. Twice this week, after late evening activities, these burritos were dinner. They came together in no time, and they were inhaled about just as quickly. Famished!
If you find yourself holed up this weekend, and you’re up for a little adventure, here’s your game plan:
- Break out your crock pot tonight or first thing tomorrow morning, and Cook. Those. Beans .
- Tomorrow (or tonight!), make the sweet potato taco filling (recipe included below) — it takes no time to throw together, especially if you have a food processor. It stores well in the fridge, too.
- And, should you find yourself twiddling your thumbs, roll out some tortillas — there’s nothing to it: whisk together flour, salt and baking powder; cut in softened butter; add warm water; knead briefly; let rest; shape and roll! Video included below. They’re so much fun. You can do it 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
PS: You guys are loving these two recipes:
- Vegan “No-Tuna” Tuna Salad
- One-Pot Lemon Orzo Chicken with Artichoke Hearts
Here’s the play-by-play: Make or find some good tortillas.
Gather the fillings: sweet potato taco filling (recipe below), black beans ( slow cooker if you’re up for it), grated cheese, sour cream, and lime.
Start layering …
Description
Black Beans: You can use one 15-oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed, or if you’re up for cooking from scratch, here are two options:
- Simplest Slow Cooker Black Beans
- Pressure-Cooked Black Beans
For the sweet potato filling:
- 1½ cup s finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 to 5 cup s grated peeled sweet potato
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- generous pinch of cayenne
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- a cup or more of finely minced cilantro
- fresh lime juice to taste
For assembly:
- 6 burrito-sized tortillas, homemade are fun
- sweet potato filling
- 1.5 cups cooked black beans, see notes above
- Boston lettuce or other
- grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack to taste
- sour cream to taste
- fresh lime to taste
- Make the sweet potato filling: In a large sauté pan set over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic in 3 tablespoons of the oil until the onions are translucent. Add the grated sweet potatoes, chili powder, cumin and cayenne, turn the heat to low, and cook, covered — covering is important to prevent sticking — for about 8-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure it’s not sticking or burning. When the sweet potato is tender, add salt and pepper to taste and remove the filling from the heat. Stir in the cilantro. Squeeze 1/2 a lime over the sweet potatoes, mix, taste, and adjust with more lime and salt to taste until it tastes nicely seasoned.
- Assemble the burritos. Gather all of your ingredients. I like to warm up my beans in a small skillet, and if my sweet potato filling has been refrigerated, I like to warm that up, too. I also like to quickly warm up my tortillas (30 seconds) in a large, dry skillet.
- Place a tortilla on a plate. Top with lettuce. Top with beans, then cheese, sweet potato filling, sour cream, and a big squeeze of lime. Roll into a burrito. Halve and serve. (Obviously: layer the fillings as you wish.) Repeat with remaining tortillas and ingredients.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Burrito
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
