Habichuelas Negras Guisadas [Video+Recipe] Stewed Black Beans

Habichuelas negras, or frijoles negros, while not as popular as other types of beans on our table, it is one of my favorites for its attractive presentation and strong flavors.

📝 Ingredients

• 4 cups boiled black beans ((see notes))
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I prefer olive oil)
• 1 lb longaniza ((Dominican sausage) sliced (optional))
• 1 small white onion ( cut into halves, or half a large white onion)
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano ((dry, ground))
• 4 sprigs of thyme ( or 1 teaspoon of dry thyme (optional))
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper ((freshly-cracked, or ground))
• 1 teaspoon salt ((or more, to taste))
• 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1 bell pepper (red or green, chopped)
• A few sprigs of fresh cilantro

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- 1. Boiling dry beans ---
2. 2Boiling: Soak beans overnight, or for a couple of hours at least (this will reduce the time it takes to boil them). Once soaked, remove them from the water. Place in a large pot, and add half a gallon of water [2 liters] and a bay leaf (this is optional). Boil over medium-low heat until the beans are tender enough that they turn to mush if pressed between your thumb and finger. ⚠️ Add water if it becomes necessary to prevent it from drying out or burning.
3. 3--- 2. Draining beans ---
4. 4Draining: Separate the cooked beans from the water they were boiled in (using a strainer) if you boiled them at home. We will need 6 cups of water, so top up with tap water if you don't have enough.💡 If you are using canned beans and are watching your sodium intake, you can choose to discard the water from the can and use tap water when the recipe calls for water later on.Set aside the beans and water.
5. 5--- 3. Sauteeing ---
6. 6Sauteeing: Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the longaniza slices and cook, stirring, until browned. If they release more fat than you would like in the dish, remove some at this point.Add the onion, oregano, thyme, pepper, a teaspoon of salt, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for half a minute. Add the beans and cook, covered, stirring for a couple of minutes.Add a little of the liquid in which they were boiled to prevent them from burning.
7. 7--- 4. Stewing ---
8. 8Stewing: Pour 6 cups of liquid into the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until reduced and the beans are very soft.Simmer until it acquires a creamy consistency. Season with pepper and salt to taste if necessary.💡 If they are not soft and creamy, lightly mash the beans with a potato masher to remove some of the skin and make them creamier. Don't overdo it, we still want whole beans at the end.
9. 9--- 5. Serving ---
10. 10Serving: Remove from the heat and serve per suggestions above the recipe.