Cuban Black Beans

Step 1

If cooking beans from scratch, place the dried beans in an Instant Pot liner or in a saucepan with two inches of water to cover. Add a diced onion and two bay leaves to the pot. Pressure cook for 35 minutes in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop for an hour to 90 minutes or until the beans are very tender. Pick out the bay leaves and strain the beans before using, but reserve any cooking liquid. If using canned beans you can skip this step.

Step 2

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions along with a generous pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Saute for a couple of minutes until the onions soften.

Step 3

Stir in the bell peppers and mix well. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add the sweet potatoes to the pot along with cumin, oregano and red pepper flakes. Mix.

Step 4

Stir in the strained black beans along with 2 cups water or vegetable stock (use less water for a thicker consistency). If you cooked the beans from scratch you can use the liquid from cooking the beans instead of vegetable stock or water.

Step 5

Bring the black beans to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and let the stew cook 30 minutes. Check seasoning, add more salt if needed, and turn off heat. Sprinkle in the cilantro and serve hot.