Cuban-Style Orange-Scented Black Beans

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Like many Latin American dishes, this pot of beans gets a big flavor bump from sofrito, which is a saute of onion, tomato, garlic, and aromatics.

Cuban-Style Orange-Scented Black Beans
Photo: Aubrie Pick
Hands On Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 10 mins
Servings:
8

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried black beans

  • 1 orange, halved

  • 2 onions, (one halved, one chopped)

  • 8 garlic cloves

  • 1 green bell pepper, quartered

  • 1 3-by-5-inch strip kombu (dried seaweed; optional)

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 8 cup vegetable broth or water

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 bell peppers, finely chopped

  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped

  • 1 jalapeno chile, stemmed and chopped

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • Pickled Onions and Hot Sauce

Directions

  1. In a pressure cooker, combine beans, orange, halved onion, garlic, quartered bell pepper, kombu (if using), bay leaf, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cumin, and the broth. Cover, bring to high pressure, and cook 40 minutes (stove top cooker) or 45 minutes (electric). Turn off; let pressure naturally release.

  2. Meanwhile, make sofrito: Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into a large skillet over medium. Once shimmering, add chopped onion and peppers, garlic, and jalapeno; sauté until tender, 8 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon cumin, the tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook just until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in zest, juice, and vinegar; cook until flavors meld, 5 minutes. Turn off heat.

  3. Fish out and discard orange, onion, bell pepper, kombu (if using), and bay leaf.

  4. Reheat sofrito in skillet over medium. Add beans and 2 cups of cooking liquid to skillet. Season to taste.

  5. Serve with rice and top with pickled onions and hot sauce. Serves 8.

Tips

No pressure cooker? Simmer on medium-low, or bake at 250°F, up to 90 minutes or until tender.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

293 Calories
8g Fat
44g Carbs
14g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 293
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 423mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 67.7mg 339%
Calcium 99mg 8%
Iron 3.7mg 21%
Potassium 1054mg 22%
Folate, total 279.8mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.4mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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