Skip to main content

Pot O' Beans

Image may contain Plant Vegetable Food Bean and Produce
Pot O' BeansMarcus Nilsson

Our no-soak bean recipe is foolproof and ripe for improvisation. Feeling smoky and spicy? Herby and garlicky? Whatever moves you, throw it in and simmer away.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño
1 sprig epazote (optional)
1 pound dried black beans or pinto beans, rinsed
Kosher salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat lard in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges are charred, 8–10 minutes.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, cook jalapeño in a small dry skillet over high heat, turning occasionally, until blackened, 8–10 minutes; cut a slit in jalapeño.

    Step 3

    Add jalapeño, epazote sprig, if desired, and beans to pot; add water to cover by 2". Simmer, partially covered, until beans are creamy, 2–3 hours (depending on freshness of beans). Season with salt and cook 15 minutes longer; discard epazote.

Read More
Like tiny tomato galettes and chimichurri grilled shrimp.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
Choose your own adventure at the supermarket with marinated artichokes, beans, peppers, and of course, olives.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Like swordfish steaks with tomatoes and Peruvian-style tofu.
A reader favorite for almost 50 years, zhuzhed up for today’s cooks.
Thinly sliced and cooked hot and fast, pork tenderloin is the juicy, cook-quicking weeknight champion of this vegetable-heavy stir-fry.
Loosely inspired by pasta Amatriciana, a few pounds of zucchini stand in for tomatoes.