Weeknight Black Beans – Simple Protein-Packed Side Dish

To complement some weeknight cheese enchiladas recently, I wanted to make a simple protein-heavy side dish.  Looking in my cabinets, the most obvious candidate became an aging can of black beans.  

I didn't want to default to my favorite refried black bean side as I wanted the texture of whole, creamy beans.  So I decided to quickly improvise a recipe, using a few online sources including All Recipes, Spicy Spoonful, and the New York Times.  

The recipe I put together turned out pretty well, and it was definitely an easy side that can be replicated during any quick weeknight meal.  I think the critical step was something that I've used in the refried black beans recipe – a splash of citrus juice, whether lemon or lime at the end.  The citrus definitely brightens up the beans, and makes them almost good enough to eat on their own.

Full recipe details below!

Weeknight Black Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 – 1 small onion, diced (I originally used 1 small onion, but will likely use 1/2 in the future)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. oregano, adjusted to your personal preferences
• 1/2 tsp. cumin, adjusted to your personal preferences
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth (I use water plus a bit of bouillon)
• 3/4 tsp. hot sauce such as Tapatio
• 1 tsp. lemon or lime juice
• salt to taste

Directions:

• In a medium pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat.  

• When hot, add onion and saute for 3 – 4 minutes or until translucent.

• Then add garlic, oregano, and cumin.  Cook for approx. 1 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.
• Add in black beans, water or broth, and hot sauce.
• Cook down on medium-high heat for approx. 15 minutes or until the beans are cooked to your preference and the water has mostly evaporated.
• Add citrus juice and salt to taste, and serve immediately.