Vegan Cuban Black Beans

These vegan Cuban-style black beans are slow cooked from scratch, packed with smoky, rich flavor and have just a hint of spice. They're fantastic served simply with rice for a delicious meat free dinner!

These vegetarian Cuban black beans are the real deal!

In the last few years, I've tried a few different Cuban-style vegan black bean recipes with varying success. I've found that most just don't have quite the flavor I'm looking for.

Many regular Cuban black bean recipes contain smoked ham hock and/or bacon, which adds a ton of depth and smokiness. To make up for those flavors, we added a few vegan flavor enhancers to this recipe.

NOTE: I just want to kick off this recipe by stating that this is not a completely traditional Cuban black bean recipe. For one, it contains jalapeño (not traditional) and it contains a dash of soy sauce and liquid smoke to add smokiness and keep it vegan. Our version is a bit more Latin-inspired.

It's important for us to clarify that in order to respect the origin of the traditional recipe. Our version is slightly different, but it's made with similar flavors and a similar cooking process. We hope you love it!

How to make vegan Cuban black beans

Cook the beans

First things first, this recipe uses dried black beans. Give them a good rinse before using. Unlike many bean recipes, this one does not require the beans to be soaked overnight. If you'd prefer, you can soak overnight to speed cooking time.

Add a pound of black beans to a large stock pot with 2 quarts of water, half of a green pepper, half of an onion, a few cloves of garlic, salt and 2 or 3 bay leaves. the onion & garlic don't have to be sautéed or anything – just add everything straight to the pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat, then simmer for about 90 minutes.

Make a sofrito

Sofrito is a blend of ingredients like onion, bell pepper, garlic and spices, used as a flavorful base for many Latin American recipes.

While the black beans are simmering, make a flavorful sofrito. Finely dice the remaining green pepper, onion and jalapeño. Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté pepper, onions and jalapeño until they start to soften. Add garlic and continue cooking for a few minutes.

Next, it's time to add all of your spices and herbs. We keep things simple with dried oregano, cumin and salt. Traditional Cuban black beans aren't meant to be spicy, so there's no need to add chili powder or cayenne. (We did add jalapeño, but that's optional and can be easily left out.)

A pinch of brown sugar helps everything caramelized and balances the flavors. Continue sautéing until the mixture is tender and fragrant. Add a splash of vinegar to deglaze the pan, scraping off any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

Season!

Once the black beans are finished cooking, stir in the sofrito mixture.

To add a smoky (vegan) flavor, we add a dash of liquid smoke and tamari. It adds just enough umami deliciousness in place of meat. Of course, this is optional and you could just leave it at the sofrito. But it really does add a lot of extra flavor!

Liquid smoke is an amazing ingredient for adding a smoky taste to vegan dishes. It's the secret ingredient in this tofu bacon and this carrot lox!

Note that the beans will not soak up all of the water. You can either remove a bit of the cooking liquid with a ladle or serve the beans with a slotted spoon.

Alternatively, you can also remove half of the beans and mash them. Add them back in for a creamier texture. I prefer to keep them whole, but they're great both ways.

Serving suggestions

These vegan Cuban black beans are perfect served simply with white rice. Such a simple, yet flavorful and filling dinner! I could eat this at least 2x a week.

You can also add these vegetarian Cuban black beans to a salad, quesadillas, tacos, soups, scrambles, skillets, burrito bowls/breakfast burritos, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week. Or, freeze them for up to six months. Reheat over low heat on the stove.

More black bean recipes you'll love:

• Spicy Black Bean & Cauliflower Tacos
• Grilled Corn, Black Bean and Avocado Salad
• Loaded Vegan Nachos

If you make these vegan Cuban black beans, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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