Vegan Black Beans
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.I make this Vegan Black Beans recipe with dried beans, red onion, bell peppers, and garlic for a hearty dish. It simmers on the stove for about an hour, allowing the flavors to deepen with seasonings and herbs. This nourishing meal is perfect to serve any time of the day for my family.
I started making my own black beans from dried instead of using canned because I wanted full control over the ingredients. Many store-bought black bean options contain added sodium, preservatives, or even animal-based broths. Plus, homemade beans have a richer texture that works perfectly in dishes like my vegan black bean chili.
After researching the benefits of black beans, I was even more convinced to make this vegan black beans from scratch. They are loaded with protein, fiber, and essential minerals, making them a powerhouse ingredient for a balanced meal. By cooking them at home, I can season them just right and use them in different meals, from simple rice bowls to vegan black bean tacos.
👩🏽🍳 Why I Love This Recipe
I love this recipe because it gives me a pot of nutritious black beans that I can use in so many ways. As a mom, I need meals that are easy and something my kids will actually enjoy. These beans never last long in my kitchen. I make a big batch at the start of the week, and before I know it, they’re gone, stuffed into my vegan black bean burritos, or scooped straight from the pot.
If you’ve been following me, you know one of my biggest goals is to turn simple, everyday ingredients into meals that are both delicious and healthy. For this recipe, I start with red onion, garlic, and bell peppers in the pot. Then I add smoked paprika and oregano for just the right depth. Black beans soak up every bit of flavor as they simmer, turning tender and flavorful. Instead of plain water, I use broth, making them so hearty, and trust me, so much better than anything from a can.
Personally, I think cooking black beans on the stovetop is the best way to bring out their natural texture and deepen their flavor in a way canned beans never can. I have tested different methods over time (and share Instant Pot and slow cooker options later in this post) but slow simmering keeps the beans tender without getting mushy. These vegan black beans are a kitchen staple I make all the time!
🥘 Ingredients
This recipe is all about simple ingredients. Along with black beans, I use a handful of spices, vegetables, and seasonings to bring out the best flavor. Here’s what I used:
Dried Black Beans: The star of my recipe, I love how black beans become creamy while holding their shape when cooked.
Red Onion & Red Bell Pepper: I add these two ingredients for their slight sweetness and to give the beans a little bit of texture variety.
Vegetable Broth: While you can cook the beans in water, I’ve found that using vegetable broth adds so much more flavor, so I’d highly recommend using veggie broth if you can.
Red Wine & Balsamic Vinegar: I love how the combination of these two ingredients adds depth, slight acidity, and richness, enhancing the natural earthiness of black beans.
Seasonings: I used a combination of garlic, dried oregano, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
🔪 How To Make
This vegan black bean recipe is one of our family favorites. Ever since I created it, we have it at least once a week. Here’s how I make them:
Prep The Beans: I soak them the night before, then add them to the pot when I’m ready to cook.
Cook Veggies: First, I sauté onion, pepper, and garlic with a drizzle of oil or broth until they soften.
Add Remaining Ingredients: Then, I add everything to the pot and bring it to a rapid boil for about 10 minutes. Then I cover, reduce the heat to a simmer, and let it cook for about an hour, checking along the way to reach the perfect texture.
Serve: Enjoy them any way you like. They thicken as they sit and become even thicker in the fridge. The flavors deepen overnight, making them even better the next day.
Other Cooking Methods
In the Instant Pot: Cooking beans in a pressure cooker is a lifesaver during a busy week. I follow the same steps as the stovetop method, starting with the sauté setting to cook the onions, peppers, and garlic. Then I add the rest of the ingredients, seal the valve, and cook on manual for about 30 minutes.
Note: you will need to reduce the amount of liquid however since it doesn’t cook off as much as it does on the stove top.
In the Crock Pot: For a deep, flavor-infused option, slow-cooking dried black beans all day is a great choice. I recommend sautéing the veggies first since it brings out their flavor. After that, I add everything to the crock pot and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. I check at the 3 or 6-hour mark for doneness and add about 1 extra cup of water since more liquid evaporates during the long cooking time.
💭 Expert Tips
My #1 Secret Tip for making my vegan black beans is to soak them overnight for faster cooking and the best texture. I always do this because it helps them cook evenly and come out perfectly tender. And if I ever forget, I use the quick soak method by boiling them for two minutes, turning off the heat, covering the pot, and letting them sit for an hour before draining and cooking.
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Don’t Add Salt Too Early: Salt can toughen the beans’ outer skin and slow down cooking. I always wait until they are tender, adding salt in the last 15 to 20 minutes.
- Cook Low And Slow: Simmering gently (instead of rapid boiling) ensures the beans absorb all the spices and aromatics without breaking apart.
- Let the Beans Rest Before Serving: Once cooked, I always let the beans sit for at least 10-15 minutes before serving, sometimes even longer.
📖 Variations
While I love the this black beans recipe as it is, I sometimes switch things up with these variations:
Make It Spicy: For more heat, I add some crushed red pepper or 1/8 (or more) teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the spice mixture. You could also add in 1-2 diced jalapenos (seeded would be milder, not seeded would be spicier) into the veggie mixture and sauté them together.
Cuban Style: For this version, I add 1 bay leaf while cooking (remove before serving), and I also stir in 1 tablespoon of ground cumin and 1 teaspoon of dried thyme along with the other spices.
Refried Beans: These beans taste great whole, but they can also be made into refried beans if you like! To do this, reduce the broth to 3-4 cups for a thicker consistency, and then after cooking, blend or mash the beans with an immersion blender until smooth.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
In my house, we enjoy these vegan black beans in so many ways. They go well with just about anything. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve them for a complete meal:
Easy Side Dishes: I love serving these black beans over rice or alongside my quinoa patties with a fresh salad or sautéed greens. It’s a simple meal my kids always enjoy.
Tacos: They are perfect for filling crispy potato tacos, or adding to my vegan breakfast tacos. I also love layering them into a taco casserole for a comforting meal.
Nutrient-Packed Bowls: I toss them into a bowl with Mexican rice, potatoes, vegan sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, and my healthy guacamole.
🧊 Storage Directions
Refrigerating: Cooked black beans stay fresh in the fridge for up to five days. I store them in an airtight container to keep them from drying out.
Freezing: I love batch-cooking black beans and freezing them for quick meals. Once they cool completely, I store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag and keep them in the freezer for up to six months.
Reheating: From the fridge, I warm them on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through. From frozen, I thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
❓Recipe FAQs
Do I have to soak the beans ahead of time?
Yes, I would highly recommend it for a few reasons:
1) Cooking time: Soaked beans cook in less time.
2) Digestion: Soaked beans are usually easier to digest. One thing I did learn though, is un-soaked beans have more flavor since they cook longer and absorb all the spices and seasonings more. The downside is of course, that they take forever to cook! I just add more spices to pack my beans with flavor instead.
Is there any way I can make these beans faster?
Yes! Actually, the way to make black beans as quick as possible, is make sure to soak them overnight (or for 8 hours at a minimum). Alternatively, if you use a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, it cuts down the cooking time by about half.
Why are my beans still hard after cooking?
There could be a few reasons why your beans are still hard. They may be too old, salt may have been added too early, or they weren’t soaked or cooked long enough. To fix this, I simmer them with an extra half cup of water or broth until they soften.
How can I make the beans thicker and creamier?
There are a few ways you can do this:
1) Let them simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes after cooking to reduce excess liquid.
2) Mash some of the beans with the back of a spoon or an immersion blender.
3) Use less broth when cooking (start with the lower end of the recommended amount).
🫘 More Black Bean Recipes!
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📋 Recipe Card
Vegan Black Beans
I make this Vegan Black Beans recipe with dried beans, red onion, bell peppers, and garlic for a rich, hearty dish. It simmers on the stove for about an hour, allowing the flavors to deepen with seasonings and herbs. This nourishing meal is perfect to serve any time of the day for my family.
Servings: 6
Calories: 312kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black beans , about 2 cups (soak overnight, see note)
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup chopped red pepper
- 4 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- Drizzle of oil or broth to sauté
- 4-5 cups broth (see note)
- ½ cup red wine , sub more broth if you don’t have or want
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For cooking in the Instant Pot:
For cooking in the crock pot:
Equipment
- pressure cooker (optional)
- slow cooker (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté onion, pepper and garlic with drizzle of oil or broth until softened.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a rapid boil. About 10 minutes.
- Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for about an hour. Check for desired done texture preference along the way.
- Serve however you want! These thicken as they sit, and get thicker in the fridge. They are even more flavorful the next day!
To cook in the Instant Pot:
- Use the sauté setting to sauté the onions, peppers and garlic, or sauté on the stove.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on manual with the valve on the seal setting for 30 minutes.
- Allow pressure to naturally release for 15-20 minutes.
- Turn the valve to vent to finish releasing pressure.
To cook in the crock pot:
- Sauté the onions, peppers and garlic on the stove.
- Add them to the crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8. Check at 3 or 6 hours for doneness and add more broth if needed. You want the liquid to cover the beans so they don’t burn.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for making my vegan black beans is to soak them overnight for faster cooking and the best texture. I always do this because it helps them cook evenly and come out perfectly tender. And if I ever forget, I use the quick soak method by boiling them for two minutes, turning off the heat, covering the pot, and letting them sit for an hour before draining and cooking.
- Don’t Add Salt Too Early: Salt can toughen the beans’ outer skin and slow down cooking. I always wait until they are tender, adding salt in the last 15 to 20 minutes.
- Cook Low And Slow: Simmering gently (instead of rapid boiling) ensures the beans absorb all the spices and aromatics without breaking apart.
- Let the Beans Rest Before Serving: Once cooked, I always let the beans sit for at least 10-15 minutes before serving, sometimes even longer.
Nutrition
Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 448mg | Potassium: 1266mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 972IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 5mg
How do you cook them on the stovetop?
Hi Rick! The recipe is for cooking them on the stove top and also includes directions for the Instant Pot and Crock Pot.
Just made these. Ad libbed a bit. Added a little orange zest and left out the balsamic vinegar (I didn’t have any). OMG!!! Thank you. I will put these up against any black beans I have ever had!
I am thrilled you loved them Richard!!
Great black bean recipe–I went a little heavier on all the spices as we generally like a spicier version of most dishes–amazing taste, and just the right combination of spices and ingredients! Had intended to use this in other dishes, but it made such a quick and easy dinner served with rice, with vegan sour cream, vegan grated cheese, and some salsa!!!! Thanks Sophia!
That sounds amazing! So happy you likes this!
Just made these beans in my instant pot. They are very tasty. However, I feel there is more liquid in them after venting than there should be. Is that normal and should I drain off some of the liquid. I put 3 1/2 cups of broth as I didn’t use the red wine and let beans sit 18 minutes after they were finished cooking.
Hi Valerie! Glad you liked them! When you make them fresh there is some liquid in there, especially if you use extra broth. However when you store them in the fridge, they totally thicken up and the liquid is necessary for good texture. But it’s up to you! Both work!
You are absolutely right, they did thicken up after a bit. I was too hasty in posting my comment. Thanks so much.
Glad it worked out!!
There seems to be some ingredients missing in the list of ingredients. Under balsamic vinegar the rest of the ingredients are missing except the salt.
Hi Millie, I am not sure if you are seeing something different, but on my end and on my husbands phone I see everything there. Under the balsamic vinegar there is oregano, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Maybe try another browser or clearing your cache?
Fabulous!! What an incredible recipe. We loved it!
Substitutes (didn’t want to go to the store):
1. 3 3-4″ chilli peppers for red pepper (1 red (seeds removed) 2 green (seeds left iin)
2. 1/2 yellow onion for 1 red onion
3. Used Better Than Bouillon for broth
Used unsoaked black beans and cooked in Fissler Pressure Cooker. The Fissler is magic (start to finish in less than an hour). The soup was creamy and delicious. This replaced our larger (now called Zavor Duo) which never cooked properly (always burned and never made beans creamy).
I am so happy you liked it Jan! I love the chili peppers. Will have to try when my spice hating family isn’t eating this, LOL
These were great, thank you!
So happy you liked them!!
I had one lone can of black beans sitting around forever after countless disappointing bean recipes. FINALLY I found a keeper that received raves all around. I too brought the cayenne to boil with the beans onion and garlic and allowed them to simmer 20 minutes before adding the cilantro. Bullseye. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
I am so happy you liked it Reena! Thanks so much for the great review!
Hi, what flavor of broth do you recommend? Thanks
Hi Susan! I always use veggie broth.
Perfect flavors with the wine and balsamic vinegar. I would have never thought to add those items to the pot. I used dried beans and the flavor turned out fantastic. Thanks!
Yay! So happy you liked them Jonelle!!
We love these beans! For those of you debating on what cooking method to use. I’ve made this recipe multiple times and tried the different cooking methods. My family’s favorite way is with the Instant Pot and the beans not pre-soaked before hand. I found around 42 minutes in the Instant Pot is perfect – with the red wine. Don’t skip on the wine! I’ve tried with and without the wine and the wine just brings the beans to the next level. The leftovers always go quick with this method! 🙂 I’ve also tried water instead of veggie broth…not nearly as good and I will always use veggie broth with this recipe. My beans look more like Sophia’s with the Instant Pot. I haven’t tried the taco flavor mix because we like the flavor of the regular recipe so much.
The Crock Pot method had a disappointing outcome as we didn’t care for it as much, it turned out soupy. Still good, just not nearly as good as the Instant Pot. For some reason, my crock pot took forever with the quick soak method. With the overnight soak, the crock pot version still did not win out over the Instant Pot.
We use the beans to top sweet potato tacos, they’re great in bowls, salads or just dipped with tortilla chips…so versatile! Thank you for the great recipe Sophia! This recipe is a staple for our family’s “Taco Tuesday”!
Wow!! Thank you so much for the great review! I so appreciate it!!
I only had canned beans. Sophia suggested sautéing the veggies with the wine and letting then reduce then adding the beans. It was absolutely fantastic!! While I still want to try using the dry beans if you don’t have any I suggest this method!
I am so happy this worked out for you Anne!! Yay!! Thanks so much for the great review!
Thanks! I appreciate this tip as I only currently have organic canned beans on hand! I will try and then update my comment. Again, thanks! 🙂
You’re welcome! Let me know if you have any other questions!
How do you calculate the amount of dry beans to re-hydrate when using a recipe that calls for them in can quantities? I hope that makes sense, e.g. a 15oz can equals how much of dry weight?
Hi Guy! That makes perfect sense. So dried black beans about triple in size. So I would take the amount of cooked beans (i.e canned) and divide by 3 to get an approximate amount of dried beans you will need.
These sound really good, I’ve always liked black beans but have never been able to make them myself!