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BLACK BEANS: VEGETARIAN BLACK BEANS

See also Black Beans History & Facts

2 Quarts Black Beans
4 Quarts Water

2 Cups Yellow Onion -- diced
2 Cups Celery -- diced
2 Cups Carrots -- diced
2 Tablespoons Garlic Clove -- minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons Cumin Powder
2 Teaspoons Oregano
2 Teaspoons Thyme
2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Dry Sherry
Salt -- to taste
See notes for cleaning and soaking beans.
 

Place cleaned and presoaked beans and water in a large, heavy pot.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a slow simmer.

After 1 hour, add remaining ingredients, and continue simmering for an additional 1 hour, for a total cooking time of 2 hours.

Add more water if needed while cooking. 

Stir to keep bottom from burning, especially after first hour.
 

NOTES: * Cleaning and soaking
Cleaning
Before cooking, be sure to pick through the beans, picking out any small pebbles, split and withered beans and any other foreign matter. It is also helpful to cover the beans with cold water, let sit for 5 minutes and remove anything that floats. Repeat to be sure all dirt and foreign matter is removed.
Drain.
      
Soaking
Black beans, like all dried beans, can be soaked before cooking. This hydration helps to reduce the cooking time, but does affect nutrient content and flavor adversely.  Because they are small, 2-4 hours soaking in cold water should suffice.   Drain, and cook as per recipe. 
      
If you don't have the time, boil the beans in water for 1-3 minutes, turn off heat, cover the pot and let them sit for one hour. Drain and proceed as per recipe. However, there is a problem with this quick soaking (boiling for 1-3 minutes) method.  Hot water increases the solubility of the water soluble nutrients, and softens the cell membranes of the beans, further accelerating the loss of these nutrients. This should be a consideration, because of the long cooking time during which more nutrients are lost.  Cold soaked and cooked at a very gentle simmer, beans retain most of their nutrients, which are considerable.

Serving Ideas: Serve with Saffron rice or brown rice.