Pinto Beans

This very simple dish has become one of our favorites. We’ve only recently discovered how easy it is to cook your own pinto beans from scratch. And the subtle flavor is so much better than anything you will find in a can.

Pinto Beans are very nutritious and an excellent source of protein and fiber. Plus, they are rich in various vitamins, minerals and antioxidants so they may improve blood sugar control and heart health as well as help to lower your risk of chronic disease.

But we just eat them because they taste good…

If you want, you can take this recipe a few steps further and make these into refried beans as well. But for now, here is a super simple, and delicious one-pot recipe that makes about 8 servings.

Start by chopping one small onion, or half of a large onion into coarse chunks. You can use whatever onion you like – Yellow, Sweet, Red, White… we usually use yellow onions because they give a bit more kick.

Dice up 2-4 cloves of garlic depending on how much you like – we love the stuff and always tend to err on the side of too much. Again, this can be chopped pretty coarsely because it’s going to boil down for a while.

Measure out 2 cups of dry Pinto Beans (no need to pre-soak them) and throw all ingredients into a large saucepan or stockpot. Add one cup of Chicken Stock or Chicken Broth and 4 Cups of water. You can add salt now if you like, but we find we use much less if we just add salt at the dinner table. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.

Turn the heat way down, keep the lid on and allow the mixture to simmer for about 3-1/2 to 4 hours. Check it frequently during the last hour or so to make sure there is enough liquid. The beans should remain submerged the entire time. If necessary add some water.

At the 3-1/2 hour mark, sample a few beans to see how they’re doing. They should be al dente (which I know – it’s an Italian term but I think it works here too). Beans should be soft and easy to chew, but not mushy.

Most of the water should be absorbed but not to the point of the beans being too dry.

Serve them up in a bowl with grated cheese, a sprinkle of salt and a few sprigs of fresh cilantro if you have it on hand. If you would like some extra zing, add some crushed red pepper flakes.

You can also put these on a taco salad, you can make burritos or chimichangas with them, or even roll yourself up some mission style soft tacos with flour tortillas.