Black beans are one of those legumes that at first seem a little "foreign" in Greek cuisine, but once you cook them properly, you realize that they work very easily in everyday dishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They have a characteristic dark color, hold their shape well when cooked properly, and go particularly well with rice, tomatoes, peppers, greens, and strong aromatics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main confusion in Greece is not so much how they are cooked as which beans we end up buying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Searches for black beans often show up black-eyed, mung, or even other dark-colored varieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, before we get to the pot, it's worth clarifying which legume we mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we talk about black beans here, we mean the beans that you will encounter internationally as black turtle beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are relatively small beans with a black, uniform exterior color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are not the familiar Greek black-eyed peas and they are not the small mung beans often used in Asian cuisine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The difference is not just nominal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The texture changes, the way the bean stands in the food, and of course the result of the recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If, for example, you want to make a rice dish and you have in mind the black beans found in Latin American cuisines, black-eyed peas will give you a completely different result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same goes for mung beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The color of some varieties may confuse the buyer in a small product photo, but in practice they are different legumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Black-eyed peas are easy to spot when you have them in front of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They have a light-colored body and the characteristic dark "black" area around the seed point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
True black beans, on the other hand, are dark over almost their entire outer surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the kitchen, I also don't treat them as substitutes for each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They naturally go well with salads, olive oil and more familiar Greek dishes. black-eyed beans<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We prefer black beans when we want a bean that will stand out next to rice, grilled vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, or stronger spices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn't mean that there is a right and wrong legume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It means that before we buy we need to know what result we want on the plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When searching online, first look at the product itself and not just the page title or category where it appears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The photo should show uniformly dark beans and the description should be consistent with the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you see a white or beige bean with a black "eye", it is a black-eyed bean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you see very small seeds that look more like mung beans, then it is also not the legume we are describing here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is especially important when you are looking for a specific recipe and want to achieve a similar texture to what you see in the photo or instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Proper cooking starts with the right bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dried beans take a little planning, but the process is simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before I put them in the pot, I quickly spread them out in front of me and check to see if there are any seeds that I don't like in appearance or any foreign bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then I rinse them well with cold water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From there, we proceed as with a dry legume that we want to soften evenly and remain pleasant to the bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The important thing is not to rush to use them in a recipe before they have reached the right texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A bean that remains hard inside won't be fixed just because we put a nice sauce on it afterwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For dried black beans, I prefer to soak them first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We put them in enough water so that they have space as they absorb moisture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They need to soak for 8 to 12 hours, meaning you practically leave them overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you rush, you'll see it during the cooking process: some beans will have softened and others will be tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After soaking, drain them, rinse them and proceed to boil them with clean water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We don't cook with a watch in our hand when we have dry legumes from a different batch in front of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are trying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We want the bean to be soft all the way through, but not fall apart as soon as we touch it with a spoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is especially important if it is then going to go into the oven or continue cooking in a sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In such cases, we lower it just before it reaches the point where we would serve it plain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the first boil, we don't need to load the pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One-two bay leaves<\/a> it is a safe and familiar choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bay leaf gives aroma without hiding the character of the legume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later, depending on the recipe, we can move on to tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, paprika or other spices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE oregano<\/a> It suits best when we take the dish in a Mediterranean direction, for example with tomato, grilled vegetables and olive oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They don't need all of them together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Black has enough personality to elevate even a simple composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Combining it with rice is perhaps the easiest way to get to know this legume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key is to cook the two ingredients so that neither loses its texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We prefer to have the beans already boiled and then combine them with the rice towards the final stage of cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This way we can better control the result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a deep pan or pot, start with onion and, if desired, a little pepper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We add tomato or a drier base with spices, depending on the style we want to give.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then the rice is added and finally the already cooked beans, so that they warm up and bind with the rest without melting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the dish comes out correctly, you should be able to distinguish both the rice and the beans in each spoonful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We don't want a shapeless mass where everything has the same texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It's also a great dish to use up beans you've already boiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You boil a quantity, keep as much as you need, and the next day cooking becomes much simpler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the oven, black beans mainly require attention to moisture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because they usually come in already cooked or almost cooked, the goal is not to cook them until they are soft from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for them to taste the sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A simple base of onion, tomato, pepper and olive oil works very well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mix the beans with the sauce and place them in a container where they will not spread out in an excessively thin layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While baking, we check that there is enough liquid so that the food remains juicy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If dried too early, the beans lose what makes them enjoyable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The surface may set, but we still want sauce underneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More Mediterranean aromatics are also suitable here, as long as they are not used all together for no reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The black beans we describe here are not giants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The term "black giant beans" can lead to confusion, especially when someone is simply looking for a dark-colored legume for baking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you really want giants with a different look than the usual white ones, there are the Colored giants of Prespa<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it is a different product and should be treated as a different legume in the recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Peppers are one of the easiest combinations because they add sweetness, aroma, and a different texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Saut\u00e9 the peppers with onion, add the already boiled beans and let the ingredients combine with a little tomato or simply with olive oil and spices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The result can be served hot or lukewarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here I prefer to keep the recipe simple, so that the legume remains a key part of the dish and not just a garnish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spinach works well when we want a simpler casserole dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We first cook the base with onion and spinach and add the boiled beans towards the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A little lemon or tomato can completely change the direction of the dish, so we choose one of the two and don't try to fit all the flavors together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The result should remain clean and easy to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With tuna, I prefer beans cold or at room temperature, as a hearty salad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We combine them with tuna, onion, pepper or other crunchy vegetable and a simple dressing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The beans must be drained well so that the salad does not become watery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It's one of those uses where it shows how practical it is to have a quantity already cooked in the refrigerator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have boiled beans, the options open up quite a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They can be added to a salad with tomato, onion and herbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They can be used as a filling along with vegetables in pies or other preparations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They can also be put in a rich tomato sauce and served alongside rice or another side dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a spicier version, they add paprika, cumin, and pepper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a more Greek direction, I prefer tomato, olive oil, onion and a little oregano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The basic principle is one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don't need to look for a "special recipe for black beans" every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you know their texture and have cooked them properly, you can use them as you would a good legume that you want to keep its shape in the dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dried and canned black beans may end up in a similar dish, but they don't start from the same place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With dry ingredients, you have control over the preparation and cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You soak them, boil them, and decide when they have reached exactly the texture you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is especially useful in baked goods or recipes where the beans will continue to cook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the can, the legume is already cooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There, our job is mainly to drain it and incorporate it into the recipe without overcooking it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no point in re-boiling a ready-made bean as if we were starting from a dry product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a foreign recipe says "one can of black beans" and we have dried beans, we simply need to bring them to the corresponding cooked stage first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From there, we continue the recipe as normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Bakalokarpos the Larissa black beans<\/a> sold dry and in bulk, with a choice of quantity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So when using them in a recipe written for canning, first calculate the preparation of the dried legume and then follow the remaining steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are looking for this specific legume and not black-eyed peas or mung beans, at Bakalokarpos you will find them Larissa black beans<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a dry, bulk product with a choice of quantity, so you can get as much as you need for your kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Orders are placed online and shipments cover the entire European Union, with a minimum order of 10 euros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the description and appearance of the product, you should always confirm that you are buying the correct type, especially when starting from a recipe that uses the English term black beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just because a legume is dark in color or appears in the same search results doesn't mean it will behave the same in the pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you're just starting out, I would suggest a simple rice recipe or a baked dish with tomatoes and peppers first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There you can easily understand its flavor and texture without being covered by many other ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Black beans are just one option within the large family of beans, and each variety has a different place in the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more general information about varieties, nutritional value and ways of consumption, there is the detailed guide Beans: Nutritional value, varieties and ways of consumption<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to try a different legume in dishes with sauce or stronger flavors, you can also check out the red beans<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat to look for when searching for "black beans" online<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to prepare dried black beans before cooking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Soaking and boiling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What aromatics are suitable for boiling?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Black beans with rice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Black beans in the oven<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Are "baked giant black beans" the same thing?;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Black beans with peppers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Black beans with spinach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Black beans with tuna<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Even more easy black bean recipes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Dried or canned? What changes in the recipe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Where to find black beans for your recipes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Do you want to learn about other bean varieties?;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n