Frijoles En Olla

Great for a delicious dinner on day one, then use leftovers to create refried beans on day two.

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This is one of my favorite recipes for several reasons: it’s easy, it’s delicious, and it can span across several meals. On day one, it’s a great bean soup, best served with OMG Flank Steak and cornbread or tamales. The next day, the leftovers are the basis of delicious, refried beans to go with a Mexican meal.

I know that one of the first things people think of when they see this recipe is… well… gas. Some people like to soak the beans overnight prior to cooking because they say it takes most of the gas out of them. But I’m here to tell you that, over the years, I’ve tried soaking for a few hours, soaking overnight, and not soaking at all — I have yet to notice any difference between any of these methods. For what it’s worth: I don’t soak them at all. So yeah, just deal with it. đŸ˜‰

Frijoles En Olla

Course:
,
Cuisine:
Difficulty:
Servings
12
servings
Prep time
15
minutes
Cook time
180
minutes
Total time
195
minutes

Ingredients

  • 5
    cups
    dry pinto beans
  • 6
    slices
    bacon
    quartered
  • 2
    med
    onions
    quartered
  • 10
    cups
    water
    maybe more
  • 10
    cloves
    garlic
    broken
  • 1.5
    tbsp
    seasoning salt
  • 1
    tsp
    ground cumin
  • 1
    tsp
    chili powder
  • 0.5
    tsp
    garlic powder
  • 1
    tsp
    Worcestershire sauce
  • 1
    tsp
    black pepper
    or to taste

Directions

  • Thoroughly wash the beans. Place them in a large pot with the water, onions and bacon. Slowly bring to a boil, reduce heat and continue to gently boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1.5 hours. Be sure to check often, stir gently, and add water if necessary.

  • Add remaining ingredients. Stir well, but carefully. Simmer for 1 hour.

  • Taste-test the broth; add spices as desired. Simmer for 30 minutes more. The final product should be soupy. Serve and enjoy!

  • I usually serve this for dinner the first day with cornbread, then use the leftovers to make refried beans the next day, as part of a taco dinner. Yummy!