Black Bean Puree Recipes

BLACK BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pan. Add the onions, garlic cloves and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown.
• Add the black beans, chicken broth, oregano, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
• Purée the soup using a hand-held immersion blender until very smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, you can use a standard blender to puree the soup in batches; see note.) Stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro.
• Note: If using a standard blender, purée the soup in batches, being careful not to fill the jar more than halfway. Be sure to leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover with a dish towel to allow the heat to escape. Pour the blended soup into a clean pot.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. (It may thicken up a bit while in the freezer; if so, just thin it out with a bit of water or broth while reheating.)

HURRY-UP BLACK BEAN DIP

Steps:

• 1. Transfer one tablespoon of the red onion to a cup and set aside for the garnish
• 2. In a blender or food processor, purée the beans, remaining red onion, vinegar, orange juice, cilantro, oil, garlic, and cumin.
• 3. Transfer the dip to a bowl; add salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the reserved red onion and serve with tortilla chips and vegetables.

BLACK BEAN DIP

Steps:

• Puree two 14-ounce cans black beans (drained and rinsed), 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/4 cup each olive oil and lemon juice, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

BLACK BEAN PUREE

Steps:

• Instructions Soak one cup of dried black beans for 4-6 hours. (I soak my dried beans in a Nalgene bottle. I fill water a couple inches above the dried beans, close the lid, shake it up, and let it do its thing.) Drain the water from the beans and add beans to a pot. Again, add water to the beans, filling the water a couple of inches above the beans. Boil the beans for roughly 35 minutes, never allowing the beans to run out of water. If the water begins to go below the beans, simply add more water. Drain the beans. Add beans to a food processor. Add Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth base, spices, and 1/4 cup water to start. Starting with the pulse button, begin to blend the ingredients. Continue to blend all of the ingredients until fully incorporated and smooth. You can add small amounts of water at a time if you desire the puree to be smoother. Serve beans warm or store for another time!

TLAYUDA WITH BLACK BEAN PURéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If using dried beans, add salt, pepper, garlic, onion, chili powder and cumin in the last few minutes of cooking. Drain and reserve liquid. Carefully place mixture in a blender or food processor with enough bean liquid to allow machine to do its work and roughly purée, leaving the mixture a bit chunky. If using canned beans, add seasonings and warm mixture gently in a saucepan, stirring, just to take the edge off the garlic and onion. Then roughly purée.
• Place 1 tortilla on pizza peel or baking sheet and spread half the bean mixture on it; top with half the cheese and half the meat, if using it. Bake (on pizza stone, if using) for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle with half the cabbage. Bake another 5 minutes or so, until topping is hot and tortilla crisp on edges. Serve, cut into wedges, then repeat with other tortilla.

BLACK BEAN PUREE WITH CILANTRO

Steps:

• Simmer the beans in water to cover with the onion, celery, carrot, tomatoes, garlic, chili, cumin and pepper for one hour. Season to taste with salt. Add more water if necessary and cook until tender.
• Puree the beans in two batches with their liquid in a food processor, adding enough of the chicken stock to make a smooth puree. Correct seasoning. Before serving, sprinkle the puree with cilantro.

HUEVOS RANCHEROS WITH BLACK BEAN PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the Salsa: In a small bowl mix together, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic, juice, olive oil, hot sauce, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• For the Black Bean Puree: In a food processer, blend all ingredients together until smooth.
• To assemble: Stack tortillas on a cutting board. Using the bottom of the ramekin as a guide, cut 8 circles out of the tortillas. Spread the bean puree evenly on 1 side of each tortilla round. Place a round in each ramekin, bean side up. Crack 2 eggs into each of the 4 ramekins, followed by 1/4 cup of salsa, and 1 tablespoon each of Cheddar and jack. Cover with another tortilla round, bean side down. Do not jam the dishes with too much. The eggs will expand during cooking and overflow. Brush tops of each tortilla with butter and bake on a sheet tray for 35 minutes. Top with remaining cheese during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Cheese should be melted and golden on top. To serve, top with sour cream and salsa.

TORTILLAS IN BLACK-BEAN PURéE

Steps:

• Quick-soak beans:
• Put beans in a 4-quart pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute, then remove from heat and let beans and water stand in pot, covered, 1 hour. Drain, discarding water.
• Cook beans:
• Return drained beans to pot and add 7 cups water. Add onion, garlic, and salt and bring to a boil, skimming froth. Reduce heat and simmer beans, partially covered, until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not drain.
• Make enfrijoladas:
• Purée 2 cups beans with 2 cups bean broth, including some of onion and garlic if desired, in a blender until smooth (use caution if puréeing while hot); reserve remaining beans in broth for another use.
• Heat a dry 10-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over moderate heat until hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Toast chile and avocado leaf, turning with tongs, until fragrant, about 10 seconds total. Open chile (wear protective gloves), then discard stem and seed cluster. Grind chile in grinder with avocado leaf to a powder.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add bean purée and ground chile mixture and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened but still liquid, 5 to 10 minutes, then reduce heat to very low.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 1/2 cups oil in cleaned 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.
• Have ready a heated serving platter. Add 1 tortilla to hot oil and soft-fry, turning over once with tongs, until puffed slightly but not crisp, about 10 seconds total, then lift out with tongs, letting excess oil drip back into skillet. Transfer tortilla to bean purée, submerging tortilla in purée, and spooning purée over it if necessary to completely coat top. Fold tortilla in half, using a metal spatula, and transfer to one end of warm platter.
• Fry and coat remaining tortillas, 1 at a time, in same manner, overlapping them on platter. Drizzle crema over tortillas and sprinkle with cheese, then serve enfrijoladas immediately.
• *Found in some supermarkets, Latino markets, and kitchenmarket.com.