Cuban Black Beans and Rice
This hearty Cuban-inspired dish features tender black beans cooked under pressure and served over fluffy white rice, accented with aromatic spices and fresh cilantro for a comforting and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1 pound dried black beans or 4 cans rinsed and drained
- 3 cloves garlic whole for beans, minced for sauté
- 4 leaves bay leaves split between cooking and sauté mix
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for sauté base
- 1 medium onion diced fine
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon salt to bring it all together
- 1 tablespoon cumin earthy Cuban flavor
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano to spice things up
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon cayenne for a little kick
- 2 cups long grain white rice rinsed well before cooking
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth to cook the rice and flavor beans
- cilantro minced, for fresh finish
- lime wedges for fresh finish
Instructions
Instructions
- Start with dried beans if you got them. Rinse ’em well and soak overnight. If you’re in a hurry, canned works fine too, just skip soaking and reduce cooking time a bit.
- Drain soaked beans, rinse em again and toss ’em into your pressure cooker with 3 cloves whole garlic and 2 bay leaves. Cover with water about 2 inches above the beans.
- Lock the lid, make sure your sealing ring’s in tight, set to high pressure. You’ll hear a valve hiss once pressure builds. Cook for about 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat your olive oil in a pan. Sauté diced onion, red bell pepper, and minced garlic until they’re soft and smelling dang good - about 5 minutes.
- Add salt, cumin, oregano, and 2 bay leaves to that veggie mix. Cook another 2 minutes so those spices bloom nice and strong.
- When beans are done, do a quick release of pressure so you can safely open your cooker. Remove the whole garlic cloves and bay leaves from the beans.Stir your sautéed mixture into the beans. Now simmer uncovered right in the cooker or a pot, for 20-30 minutes to thicken the sauce and get flavors all cozy.While that’s going, rinse your rice and cook it with chicken broth either in another pot or in the pressure cooker if you got one with a rice setting. Serve beans over the fluffy white rice topped with cilantro and squeeze of lime.
Notes
Use canned black beans for a quicker version, just reduce cooking time and adjust seasonings. Pressure cooker’s rice setting saves time and mess. Store leftovers separately to maintain texture.