Almost homemade black beans

Yesterday, I shared my recipe for homemade black beans, but I'm too busy to make them, this week.  I should be honest, I have been too busy since last September.  (I'm hoping this summer will give me more time in the kitchen.)  Because necessity is the mother of invention, I came up with a way to do really tasty, almost homemade black beans in a short amount of time.

1.  Get some canned black beans.  My favorite ones are these: http://www.edenfoods.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=102980.  They are organic and in BPA-free cans.  They are also cooked with Kombu.  (Did I tell you that kombu makes beans more "digestible?"  It's good stuff.) 

2.  Decide how many cans to use.  

I typically use 3 cans (and it usually gives us 1- 2 meals for the whole family of 5 of us).

Put all the beans in a pan and add spices.  For black beans, my favorite spices are cumin, salt, a little chili powder, onion powder and garlic.

I put in 1-2 teaspoons of ground cumin per can of beans.

See the previous post for a link to how healthy cumin is for you! Or click this link to learn more about cumin.

Add approximately  1/2 teaspoon of salt per can

Garlic....  Note, I tend to go light on the garlic, but season as you like.  (This also depends on my mood.) You can use 1 teeny clove or 2- 3 big cloves (minced) per pan.   When I use dried and minced I use about 1/2 teaspoon per can.

1-2 teaspoons of chili powder for 3 cans and a few good shakes of the onion powder.  Season as you feel!  


Bring the beans to a boil and then turn down and simmer for at least 20 minutes.  I've simmered my beans for almost 2 hours (just making sure to keep them low) and they've been EXCELLENT.

Let me know if you try them!  These are super easy and good for you when you're busy.  See previous post for serving suggestions.  And, make sure you have salsa around!

These haven't simmered very long.  I let the juice cook almost all the way off.  Super tasty!