One Counter Cooking - Slow Cooker Black Beans

These beans are out of control. Soft and flavorful, some might call it "transcendent." Eat with rice, in wraps or tacos, as a side. 

I ate mine with dirty rice and chicken (in a mushroom Dijon sauce). 

I made up this recipe after browsing through a few blog posts. I doctored it to my tastes (spicy) and what I had on hand. I would've used all chicken stock but I was nearly out when it came time to cook. I quick soaked the beans - basically boil them for 2 minutes in 6 cups of water and then let stand for an hour. 

INGREDIENTS 
1 lb of black beans (you'll need to soak them before cooking!)
2 bell peppers
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic 
1 cup salsa
2 seeded and sliced jalapeños 
2 bay leaves 
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin 
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

In a skillet sautée the onion, garlic, and bell peppers [rinsed and chopped first, duh]. Salt and pepper to taste. When the veggies have browned slightly, remove from heat. 

I did a large chop on the peppers and onion

In your crockpot add the beans, chicken stock, water (enough so that the beans are covered), salsa, herbs, and seasonings. For jalapeños, I used the jarred variety. Add your sautéed veggies, stir it up, and set the crock pot to high. 

Ready to stew 

Depending on your pot, it will take 4-5 hours. My pot is older, so it took 5+ hours. At the 5 hour mark I mashed the pot a few  times, to add an extra creamy texture. 

It filled a 2 quart corningware dish. Beautiful.

I wish I had lime juice!! It's going on the top of my list next shopping trip. Consider topping with sour cream or avocado, or both. Or cheese. Get your freak on.