We’re all used to opening a can when we want refried beans at home — but once you have tasted how delicious this is from scratch you’ll never go back! Full disclosure: I didn’t take a picture of Dave’s beans, but, well, they look pretty much just like this picture from Wikimedia Commons. Of course the look will depend quite a lot on what type of bean you use. However, Dave says he wouldn’t recommend pureeing it like it is shown in the picture. Instead, leave it a little chunky, unless you want to use it for a soup base.
Ingredients:
- Any dried beans — pinto, black, etc.
- Baking soda (optional
- Onions to taste
- Garlic to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Nutritional yeast
- Tomato paste (optional)
Preparation:
- Remove any rocks and twigs from the dry beans, and rinse the beans thoroughly.
- To reduce the bean gas, boil the beans for ten minutes in vigorously boiling water with half a teaspoon of baking soda per cup of dry beans. Discard the water and rinse the beans thoroughly.
- Cover the beans again with water and cook over a gentle boil until the beans are squishy soft, adding water as needed to cover the beans. Don’t add salt or anything else while cooking the beans.
- When the beans are done, add onions and garlic (sautéed, dry, or powdered), bay leaf, salt, cumin, oregano, nutritional yeast (for that umami flavor), and optionally a bit of tomato paste.
- Cook over low heat for ten minutes or until the water reduces to the desired consistency. Remove the bay leaf and squish the beans with a masher or spatula.