Cuban Black Bean Soup or Cuban Red Bean Soup, Cuban red beans and rice.

I'm not Cuban, but I do enjoy Cuban foods, especially red bean soup.

I make refried beans, use on tostados, burritos, as a side with cheese on top.

"Black beans replace the flour in this brownie recipe."

Ingredients

• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 pinch salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8 square baking dish.
2. Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and instant coffee in a blender; blend until smooth; pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the mixture.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

You don't need to boil them before soaking unless you are doing a quick soak (which reduces soaking time) because you need the beans right away. With a little planning ahead, our preferred method is to soak the beans overnight and cook them the next day.

If using dried beans, pick through them before soaking and discard any rocks, shriveled or discolored beans.

We like to slow cook the beans as if not cooked gently, they fall apart, so use a crock pot or cook over very low heat on the stove top.

Beans will double or more in quantity after cooking, so if you want 2-3 cups of cooked beans start with one cup of raw beans.

Some say it's an old wives tale that salt toughens the beans, but we have found it to be true, so we don't add salt until the cooking time is nearing it's end. However, I have to say that I haven't found that cooking beans with a ham hock or a ham bone makes them tough - perhaps there isn't enough salt in the ham to toughen the beans?

Beans that have been soaked overnight take about two hours to become tender. Once you are approaching that cooking time, taste a bean for tenderness. If not done to desired consistency, continue to cook and test beans.

Canned beans are already cooked, so if using those, all you have to do is add them to whatever you are making near the end of cooking time.

The above guidelines can be used for pretty much any type of bean.

I have a really good bean soup recipe which I will post for you later. I'm short on time this morning, but will post as soon as I have some spare time later today.

If you for any reason you do not use the beans after soaking overnight you need to rinse and add fresh water. Depending on the beans they could start fermenting. Mild fermenting can be rinsed off but be very careful if they start to smell.

So much good advice! DawnInCal, thanks for all the details that this first timer didn't know. I'm curious about the bean brownies, and it's good to know about them, especially as my flour supply is dwindling and there was none when we went on our grocery foray. I wish I had my spices for the Moroccan soup. I'm currently a couple of hours away from home and cooking in a not-very-well-equipped kitchen.

My pleasure, jupidupi!

I edited my post to note that the reason for the 10 minute boil (if wanting to cook the beans the same day) is because it reduces the soaking time substantially. Personally, I'd rather soak overnight as I think it's gentler on the beans.

Also, if you are cooking something like lentils or split peas, keep in mind that they don't need soaking nor do they need near the cooking time that beans do. Lentils usually cook up in 30 - 45 minutes.

This is another favorite of mine https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/traditional-greek-bean-soup-recipe-fasolada/ You can use diced tomatoes or whatever you have instead of the puree.

I use beans in taco salad (burrito bowl), love NewOrleans style red beans & rice, black beans in a similar dish 'Christians and Moors', pinto beans & ham, refritos are especially good heated up & served w/ runny eggs on top for breakfast or any time of day. Also in burritos, obviously, and good on tostados.

I make Senate Bean soup & pasta fagioli once every few years (not esp. fond of white beans)--except that I do like baked beans. The doctored up canned baked or canned pork & beans version. Don't care for split pea soup but I will eat it. Lentils--I'll have to be realll hungry before I'll eat them.

My MIL made a bean soup with that pkg'd mixed beans mix. Used to be sold in a long cellophane tube w/ some herbs included, IIRC. I enjoyed her soup--she prolly added some other magic ingredients to it.

There are lots of bean recipes on the Cooking Forum.

Cooking with dried beans.

Minestrone

Cuban Black Bean Soup

I could use some beans. LOL

I love this with tortilla chips. Can be cut in half.

Dixie Caviar

2 cans black-eyed peas rinsed and drained, can use black beans

2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, I use 2 cans of corn drained

2 medium tomatoes chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 small sweet onion, chopped

4 green onions, sliced

1-2 jalapenos. seeded and minced

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup Italian dressing

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine in large glass bowl, stir, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for 24 hours. You can either drain or I just dip out what I want with a slotted spoon. I also can't wait 24 hours, lol. Keeps well for several days.

Here's the bean recipe I made today:

Texas Bean Dip

1-1/3 cup dried pinto (or red) beans (about 2-1/2 cups cooked)
1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp cumin
1 bunch of cilantro, about 2/3 cup chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes (10 oz.) or similar tomatoes, diced with green chilies
3-4 Serrano chilies, coarsely chopped (or one Habanero chili, without seeds)
3 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tbsp dried oregano)
1 tbsp soup base—vegetable or beef (or 1 tsp salt, to taste)

Cook the beans your preferred method – I've been using a pressure cooker lately and follow the instructions that came with it. Drain the beans after cooking and discard the water, or save it, if you want to thin out the dip.

Place all of the ingredients except the beans in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the beans and process until the beans are pureed. I remove some of the seeds from the chilies and save them, in case it comes out too bland. You can remove more seeds, if you like it mild.

Serve warm or cold with tortilla chips.

I also use this as a sandwich spread when making Mexican tortas with bolillos. You can also use this to make tacos, migas, taco salad, burritos, etc. I often use it to make breakfast burritos, which are a staple of Tex-Mex food.

Here you go, Jupidupi. I've added my tweaks and changes; feel free to use them or to follow the recipe exactly. Either way, it's a delicious soup. Any questions, just holler!

Thank you everyone! This is great. So many interesting recipes, and I have lots of time to cook.

Just to add. Salt does not toughen beans and I always add it when I start cooking them. Acid, like tomato or vinegar does toughen beans and they will never get soft, so add them after the beans are soft. You can cook beans with the rind of good cheese and that adds great flavor. You can also add olive oil, carrot/onion when you start cooking them.

Texas Caviar is one of our favorite chip dips. No need to post my recipe since google will reveal a thousand of varieties.

I like the Paula Deen Black Bean Salsa RECIPE. It makes a lot so you could probably cut it in half. Some of my crew doesn't like avocado so I substitute a peeled cucumber minus the seeds. I double the vinegar and lime juice becuase I like it. I se black beans or black eye peas or other bean as I have available. The recipe is just a suggestion. Lol! You can eat it as is or I use it in place of lettuce, tomato, etc., in taco salad.

Don't forget after sorting the beans for rocks, to put them into a colander and rinse them off, they are dirty. I don't soak my beans - I just cook them longer. Pinto beans can be cooked all by themselves or doctored up with any kind of smoked meat, ground beef, Mexican chorizo sausage, also chopped onion, garlic, celery, carrots, hot peppers, with seasonings such as thyme, red pepper flakes, oregano, coriander, cumin, etc. They lend themselves to all kinds of ethnic flavors. I often make what I call "Cuban chili" but it's actually closer to a Brazilian dish. Cook black beans until tender. Meanwhile, brown ground beef, onion, bell pepper, garlic, sliced chorizo (the Cuban style) then add salt, pepper, oregano and a 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes, broken up. Add the cooked black beans and simmer for about an hour, serve over rice. I use canned beans for this dish but if I had dried ones I'd do it this way.