Okay, okay, this is a cheat version of Cuban beans, they're not the real deal. This recipe uses canned beans as a short cut and comes together in 20 minutes or less. The real thing would involve hours of soaking and cooking!
Serve these tender beans, stewed in sauteed onion, jalapeno, and spices, and then finished off with cilantro and lime, over rice. Yum! They make a nice meatless Monday meal and are also great as leftovers.
Cuban Black Beans with Cilantro & Lime
1 Tbsp oil
1 medium red onion, diced
1-2 jalapeños, seeded + ribs removed then diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 ounce cans) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
½-1 tsp chipotle chili powder (optional)
2-3 Tbsp cilantro
3 Tbsp lime juice
Heat the oil in a stockpot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and jalapeños for 4-5 minutes or until they turn translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds.
Add the black beans, warm water, salt, cumin, and chili powder and bring to a boil. When boiling, reduce the heat so that it simmers. Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes or until most of the water evaporates leaving a thick sort of broth.
At this point, if you’d like to thicken the beans a bit more you can remove about ½ – 1 cup of beans and mash them (using a potato masher or a wooden spoon) to make a thick sort of paste but this is optional. Add the beans back into the pot and stir.
Top with fresh cilantro and lime juice stir to combine.