This isn’t your mother’s slow cooker recipe! No cans of creamed soup or spice packets here. This is a fragrantly spiced, slightly tangy Cuban black bean soup full of vegetables and Cuban goodness that’s good tasting and good for you. And there’s no need to soak the beans overnight! Serve over steaming hot brown rice.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 4 hrs 15 mins
Total Time: 4 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) package dry black beans
- 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can water
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 dashes hot pepper sauce, or to taste
Steps
- Rinse beans and remove any particles or bad beans. Place beans in a saucepan; cover with 2 inches water. Add celery and bay leaves.; bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, adding more water as necessary, for 10 minutes. Drain beans; remove and discard celery.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and carrot; sauté until onion fairly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt, cumin, and pepper flakes; cook until heated through and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a slow cooker.
- Add tomatoes and water to slow cooker; stir in beans and bay leaves.
- Cook on Low until beans are tender enough that you can easily smash one between your tongue and the top of your mouth, for 6 hours (or on High for 4 hours). Add vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings; add hot pepper sauce.
