Frijoles Negros (Cuban Black Beans)

Name: Frijoles Negros (Cuban Black Beans)
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Yield: About 8 cups
Cuisine: mexican
Ingredients: 1 pound dried black beans, rinsed thoroughly; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 large white onion, chopped; 1 green bell pepper, chopped; 4 to 5 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 bay leaf; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 large white onion, finely chopped; 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 bay leaf; 1/2 teaspoon cumin; 1/2 teaspoon oregano; 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste; 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste; 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 1/4 cup green olives stuffed with pimentos, thinly sliced; 1 teaspoon sugar; Cooked white rice for serving (optional)

Recipe from Ana Sofia Peláez

Adapted by Rachel L. Swarns

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Frijoles Negros (Cuban Black Beans) — Michael Nagle for The New York Times

Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes, plus soaking time
Rating: 5(1,326)
Comments: Read comments

This delicious recipe comes from Ana Sofia Peláez of Brooklyn, who dug up a handful of faded index cards that her grandparents had left behind, with treasured recipes written in neat script. —Rachel L. Swarns

Featured in: Holding On to Heritage Before It Slips Away

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Ingredients

Yield:About 8 cups

For the Beans

1pound dried black beans, rinsed thoroughly
1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½large white onion, chopped
1green bell pepper, chopped
4 to 5garlic cloves, crushed
1bay leaf

For the Sofrito

¼cup extra virgin olive oil
½large white onion, finely chopped
1green bell pepper, finely chopped
3garlic cloves, finely chopped
1bay leaf
½teaspoon cumin
½teaspoon oregano
1teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
1and ½ teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
2tablespoons sherry vinegar
½cup dry white wine
¼cup green olives stuffed with pimentos, thinly sliced
1teaspoon sugar

Cooked white rice for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a large pot, soak beans overnight in 10 cups of water.
Step 2
Add 1 tablespoon oil, the onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves and bay leaf to beans, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour, checking regularly and skimming the foam that forms on top.
Step 3
Meanwhile, make the sofrito. Warm remaining ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the half onion, 1 bell pepper and 3 garlic cloves and sauté for about 5 minutes until soft. Add 1 bay leaf, cumin, oregano, black pepper and salt, and cook for 2 minutes more.
Step 4
Add the sofrito to beans. Stir in sherry vinegar, wine and olives, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 1 to 1½ hours, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened and cooked through. Remove both bay leaves, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and add sugar. Serve as soup or a side dish, or over white rice.

Ratings

5 out of 5

1,326 user ratings

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Comments

CGinSB7 years ago

Melissa Clark (NYT) says:
If you’ve ever cooked beans for hours without them softening, it’s probably because you’re using old beans, or you’ve got hard (mineral-rich) water, or there’s an acidic ingredient in the pot, which can slow down cooking. Using distilled water solves the hard water problem. (And soaking your beans in salt water before cooking not only adds flavor, it can also help them cook more quickly.)

Lan Sluder6 years ago

My grandfather gave me his hammer. But the wood handle broke so I replaced it with another. Then the hammer head wore out, and I replaced it with a new one. I still use my grandfather's hammer. Many of the comments on these recipes remind me of that old story. Cooks replace most of the ingredients with what they happen to have on hand and change the cooking directions, but they still critique the original recipe. That's the nature of cooks and cooking, I guess, but it amuses me.

Roberta7 years ago

Ana Sofia Palaez--perhaps you can share more recipes from the handful of faded index cards that your grandparents left behind? This dish was wonderful! I did find your blog and look forward to trying some of the traditional recipes. For anyone interested, it's hungrysofia.com.

Josephine Morgan4 months ago

I’ve made this recipe, nearly exactly as written, many times and it has never failed me! I sometimes add 1-2 jalapeño peppers. I typically cook the beans the day before and then the soffitto step the following day. I use any of the heirloom Rancho Gordo black beans and they are absolutely delicious.

Heidi4 months ago

Theres a snowstorm today so I made do with my available ingredients. I used 3 398 ml cans of black beans with the other bean ingredients plus 2 cups of veg broth in my instant pot for 20 minutes under high pressure. I made the sofrito on my stove with the correct ingredients except I substituted red wine vinegar for sherry vinegar. Then I dumped the beans into the stove pot with the sofrito and simmered with the lid ajar to reduce. I did not have green olives. Despite my changes, these beans are fantastic! Its worth making again properly as the recipe intended but nice to know its a forgiving recipe. Served alongside salmon and mixed vegetables. It was superb!

EssieDee8 months ago

Made as others did with instant pot. Super good. Sautéed the onions and garlic first. Then added all ingredients up front save the finishing touches of vinegar and sugar. 40 minutes. Great for a weeknight! If I had more time and more mouths to feed and a bigger occasion I might attempt the two step process to make it extra special.

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