I think of black beans in Mexican cuisine as an almost upscale replacement for pinto beans, but in actual fact, they have been part of the meso-American culinary repertoire for thousands of years. This is a simple, flavorful, nutritious one-pot meal.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Thoroughly wash the beans and place them, along with the water and onion, in the slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until the beans are tender.
Step 2
Using a handheld immersion blender, purée some of the beans to thicken the soup. (How much you purée depends on how much texture you’d like remaining in the soup.)
Step 3
Add salt to taste, then ladle into bowls. Top each serving with some crumbled cheese, a sprinkle of cilantro, and some tortilla strips.
Suggested Beverage
Step 4
This is a relatively mild dish, so I’d choose a chilled, medium-bodied white wine, perhaps with a little spice. A Gewürztraminer or even an off-dry Muscat Canelli would work well. A beer would do nicely, too.
