Black beans are eaten across many cultures and in a variety of ways. I grew up in Florida where Latin American cuisine was very popular, and I ate a lot of Cuban black beans. I absolutely love Cuban food and black beans were a big part of that. My family cooked black beans a lot with our meals too. Culturally, beans and rice are a popular dish in my family. One of the things that make black beans so great is how easy they are to cook. I mean you can spend the time soaking them to cook them later on, or you can just buy a can of black beans and heat it up. It is much easier to eat black beans right out of a can, but you need to add flavor to them. You will need to learn how to spice up black beans so they don’t taste like boring canned beans. There are several spices and ingredients you can add to do this. Let’s learn how!
Spices to Add to Black Beans
As I mentioned before, black beans are eaten across many cultures. Because of this, they are seasoned a bit differently too. You can spice up your black beans with a variety of spices, but one of the main ingredients you will always want to add is garlic. If you want to know how to spice up black beans correctly, you positively can’t forget the garlic. Garlic goes great in black beans, and I have yet to find a black bean recipe that doesn’t call for garlic. Onion is another popular addition that I wouldn’t omit, when making black beans. There are a variety of other spices you can add too.
Adding cumin to your black beans really adds flavor. It is a bold taste that will make your bean flavors stand out. You would also benefit from adding a little chicken stock to your black beans. This also really makes them better. Some Mexican black bean recipes call for lime juice and cilantro and have you smash up the beans. Some Cuban recipes have you add red wine vinegar, red bell pepper, scallions, bay leaves, and oregano. All these spices and ingredients will definitely improve your black beans. Coriander and chili powder can also give your beans added flavor that you won’t regret.
How to Spice Up Black Beans and Rice to Make Them Yummier
Black beans taste great in rice! This is exactly how I would eat my black beans as a child and still do as an adult. Rice can’t get any better when you top it with a heaping serving of black beans. Black beans and rice make a filling and hearty dish. It is vegetarian-friendly, while still providing protein and needed nutrients. Some people might prefer a little more with their black beans and rice. You can add the spices I mentioned before to the black beans themselves; or you can improve them by adding them to rice that’s been spiced up on its own.
For example, cilantro lime rice. Cilantro lime rice is exactly what it’s called, and it goes delicious with black beans. They were meant for each other! If you’re not sure how to spice up your black beans, serving them over cilantro lime rice will bring an added flavor that you will truly enjoy. Something that my mother used to do with our black beans and rice was mix in pork. My mother would cut up and fry small chunks of pork and then mix it into our black beans and rice. The pork blended with the rice and beans was perfect. She always added lots of garlic to the rice, and it tasted great. Regardless, black beans can get spiced up easily.
How to Make Black Bean Recipes Vegan for Meatless Options
Beans are a dish that gets eaten a lot as a meat substitute for those who are vegan or vegetarian. Beans are rich in protein, fiber, and many other nutrients. This is why they are very popular in meatless dishes. One of the most popular vegan black bean recipes is black bean burgers. Instead of adding a ground beef patty to your burger, you make one out of black beans. What you do is mash black beans in a bowl with onions, red or green bell peppers, garlic, and carrots. You mix cornstarch and different seasonings into the bean mixture. You also add crumbled whole wheat bread and some flour. Then you form patties and bake them. The key to making vegan black bean burgers is not to add any egg as some vegetarian recipes call for!
Another black bean vegan recipe is black bean soup. Black bean soup is healthy for you and filling; plus it is vegan and vegetarian friendly. To make black bean soup you mix canned black beans with olive oil, yellow onions, celery, carrot, vegetable broth, sherry vinegar, and of course, garlic. You add some of those delicious spices we spoke about that make black beans taste better, such as cumin and red pepper flakes. You mix in fresh chopped cilantro to add even more flavor, and you can top the soup with tortilla chips or avocados if you choose. Black bean soup is just one of many different black bean vegan recipes that you can enjoy when you spice up black beans!
Black Beans Will Never Be Boring
Now that you know how to spice up black beans, you will never be bored with black beans again. You know that it is a great option for any vegan or vegetarian you might have over for dinner! Black beans provide protein and other nutrients that are good for anyone. And now you can make a delicious meatless burger or healthy soup from black beans. You can make black beans and rice in a variety of ways too, and spice up your black beans to bring out the flavors. You’ve learned that you can add meat to your black beans and rice for an even heartier meal. You can add black beans to any burrito, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and many other Mexican dishes! You can even make refried beans with black beans too. Black beans are delicious, and they will never be boring now that you know how to spice them up.
