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Prep time
5 minutes
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Cook time
3 hours 30 minutes
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makes
about 12 cups
Author Notes
Simple beans with scallions and herbs
I do not soak beans. I have experimented with different soaking methods and different beans, and when you soak beans in water, guess what they taste like—water. My preferred method is to cook them from dry in a simple flavorful liquid over a low flame until they are tender. This method takes only slightly longer than soaked beans, about 1 hour longer depending on the age of your beans (older beans will take longer to cook even if you soak them). I also find that the broth is addictively delicious when you cook from dry. A longer cook time means greater flavor development and a richer broth.
If you can find avocado leaves (fresh or dried), I highly recommend trying them. They have a spicy cinnamon-allspice-citrus flavor that completely changes the way you will think of a pot of beans. They are commonly used in the southern part of México, where avocados are grown. —Rick Martinez
Test Kitchen Notes
Recipe reprinted with permission from Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico (Clarkson Potter, May 2022).
This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. As an Amazon Associate, Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to. —The Editors
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Watch This Recipe
Frijoles de Olla
Ingredients
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1 pound
(453 grams) dried beans, such as black, pinto, cannellini, or kidney, rinsed and picked through
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3
medium scallions (67 grams), roots trimmed, or 1/4 medium onion
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3
garlic cloves, lightly crushed
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2
avocado or bay leaves, dried or fresh
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3
fresh epazote sprigs or a combination of parsley, oregano, and/or mint sprigs
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1 tablespoon
plus 1/2 teaspoon (17 grams) Morton kosher salt, plus more to taste
Directions
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In a large pot, combine the beans, scallions, garlic, avocado leaves, epazote, salt, and 16 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a slow simmer, uncovered, skimming and stirring occasionally, and checking the beans every hour to see if they need more water (you want the beans to always be covered by water), until the beans are tender, for 2½ to 3½ hours. The cooking time will depend on how old the beans are; freshly dried beans might be fully cooked in as little as 1½ hours.
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Remove and discard the scallion, garlic, and herbs. Taste and season the beans with more salt if desired.
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Do ahead: The beans can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Or, make them up to 3 months ahead and freeze in an airtight container.
Rick Martinez is currently living his dream—cooking, eating and enjoying the Mexican Pacific coast in Mazatlán. He is finishing his first cookbook, Under the Papaya Tree, food from the seven regions of Mexico and loved traveling the country so much, he decided to buy a house on the beach. He is a regular contributor to Bon Appétit, New York Times and hosts live, weekly cooking classes for Food Network Kitchens. Earlier this year, he was nominated for a James Beard Award for “How to win the Cookie Swap” in Bon Appétit’s holiday issue.
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